Immoral
by Vellichor29
Summary: Trauma can shape a mammal, sometimes physically, sometimes mentally. In a world where shock collars are placed on criminals, trauma seems everywhere. But for Judy, her trauma has made her question her ideals. Is a good man who does bad things still good? Is doing the wrong thing for the right reasons still wrong? Maybe things aren't quite as black and white as she thought.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Free:

Author's Note:

 **So… uh… this is my first collaboration piece. Yeah… I know, shocking, right? I'm usually the person to do everything myself. No beta, no help… no nothing… and yet, when All Hail King Scar came to me, asking to write something with him/her, I conceded. And… well, here it is. So, to start, I would like to give a** ** _huge_** **shout out (and my deepest thanks) for helping write this story… if you all enjoy Lion King, check out his/her profile. The stories there are pretty good!**

 **So, a bit about the story to start. I don't know if you got this from the summary, but the premise for the story is that convicted criminals are given a choice between taking prison time… or taking a "collar deal," where they are given a "contractor" and are forced to work without pay until their sentence is up. They are forced to wear a shock collar and their contractor is given the ability to shock them (duh). Some contractors are pretty fair, only shocking their "slaves" if they become aggressive… but others are ruthless, shocking them for the smallest of things, some even just to watch them writhe. Society doesn't give a shit… the collared are criminals and "deserve" it. Few even realize what's going on, even when collared criminals are being treated like slaves… some even sold like livestock between contractors on black markets. The bar to be convicted of a crime is low, and collar deals are particularly tough, even low-level offences can see** ** _years_** **with a collar, depending on the harshness of the judge.**

 **Nick and Judy are cops… they're the ones sending these animals to a fate worse than death. And… for the longest time, Judy had no idea how bad it really was… and Nick has learned that there was nothing he could do. But… as they pull into a diner for dinner, after a particularly grueling case, their eyes are opened to the world around them. Please… enjoy.**

XXX

Judy sat back in her chair, the late hour beginning to take its toll. She and Nick had just finished up another case, a violent drug bust, and they were both exhausted from the frantic events that had taken place that afternoon. The diner they were in was deserted except for them, but the sign had flashed OPEN, so they had chosen it in lazy hurry.

"Well this isn't the nicest place," Nick grumbled.

"But it was the closest place," Judy replied, letting her ears flop behind her head. "Just be glad we didn't have to stay on the roads with the traffic jam."

"Whatever you say. Honestly... a traffic jam this late at night?" Nick sighed, leaning back in the booth. Although the back of the booth was made from soft felt, the seat itself was made from wood, and not clean wood either. It was impossible to get comfortable on.

"Oh, who knows? Car accident, probably," she mumbled, crossing her arms. She looked around and grumbled for a moment, not in the best of moods. "Geez, I thought they said this place was open. No one seems to be here." She cleared her throat, "Hello!" she shouted.

A few seconds passed, when a hyena burst out of the kitchen, looking around frantically. When she saw Nick and Judy she gulped audibly and rushed over to them. "Sorry I'm late!" she exclaimed, looking extremely anxious. "Uh, what will you be ge-getting today?"

Nick raised an eyebrow as he watched her twitch in place. She didn't seem to be carrying a notepad... he wondered if she could be able to remember their orders. Though, he supposed, there were only two of them. "You go first, hun," Nick gave Judy a sly grin as he pulled the menu up to his face, wondering if she would throw something at him. She hated it when he did that. It didn't help that he also had no clue what to get.

Judy cast him the evil eye for a moment, then turned back to the hyena, who was wearing a standard waitress uniform and skirt. Her eyes were wide for... some reason. Was she... afraid? And what from? She cleared her throat, "Yes. Thank you. Now I'll be getting the..." she glanced back down at the menu. "Taco salad. And water." Then she gestured at Nick.

She vaguely heard him mutter a profanity, but he answered nonetheless, "Chicken salad for me... and coke." The hyena nodded rapidly and practically ran back into the kitchen. "What's her deal?" he asked, gesturing towards the kitchen.

Judy cocked her eyebrow. "Who knows? But you know... did you see what was around her neck?" she asked.

Nick narrowed his eyes, "Yeah. Collar." He unconsciously rubbed his neck, but made no further comments towards the device.

"I wonder what she did," she sighed, leaning back in the booth.

"Who cares," Nick grumbled, shifting on the hard wood again. "Not like we can do anything about it."

"Comfortable?" she snickered, although she herself was not much better off.

"Yeah, laugh it up fluff-butt," Nick growled, putting one leg underneath him in hopes of finding some comfort.

"Dumb fox," she said, grinning at her partner. The two lapsed into silence, staring at the grimy table in front of them. The minutes passed them by as they waited for their food. They did not have high hopes for its quality, but they didn't care. They were just hungry, and would accept anything that wouldn't kill them.

The hyena eventually returned, carrying two large dishes, each with the ordered sides, meals, and drinks. She walked toward them carefully, the plates wobbling in her paws. She set them down in accordance to who ordered what, taking Judy's drink and setting it next to the bowl. But when she grabbed ahold of Nick's drink, her arm suddenly twitched and she lost her hold on the coke. The beverage crashed onto the table, splashing all over Nick as the hyena let out a gasp of horror.

Nick shifted again in his seat, now uncomfortable and wet. "Well that's just great," he growled. He reached for a few napkins, but he knew that they wouldn't be much help.

"I'm sorry!" the hyena exclaimed, her eyes wide and terrified. "I'm sorry! Uh..." she fumbled around in her pockets, taking out several napkins and handing them to Nick with a shaking paw.

"Yeah, yeah," Nick said, taking the extra napkins, and wiping his pants and shirt. He eventually gave up trying to completely dry himself off, setting the wet napkins aside for disposal later.

The hyena stood by them, her eyes still wide and breathing heavily. Judy frowned, what the hell was she doing? She just sort of... stared at them, expression horrified. As if she had accidentally murdered a group of schoolchildren.

"Uh... are you all right?" Nick asked, noticing the hyena's fear. He looked down at his food, pleased to see it wasn't wet. At least he still had that.

"Uh… I'm all right!" she replied, shaking herself back to reality. "I'm all right... I'm all right... uh... s-sorry for the inconvenience sir!" she stuttered.

"Just bring me another coke," he sighed. She nodded rapidly and rushed back into the kitchen. Judy sent him a snarky grin. "What?" he hissed.

"You're all wet," she snickered, casting him an amused look.

"Ha, ha, look at the wet fox," he said, "I thought maybe I'd get a bit of sympathy, but I clearly forgot how cruel you are." He held his hand over his head in dramatic display.

"Now, there's no need to cry," Judy grinned, as she handed him some more napkins. "I thought you wouldn't let people get to you."

"Wanting sympathy is different than letting people get to you. It shows that you're not an emotionless sociopath," he grinned, "Or are you?" He waved the napkins away, he would just deal with being wet. They would eat and leave, where he could change into something dryer.

"Gee, I don't know Nick. Am I?" she asked, grinning slyly right back at him. At that moment, the waitress returned, holding Nick's new coke. She set it down with greater care this time.

"There you g-go sir," she said, her expression somehow… empty. Not of emotion, but it seemed to be… sad. Well, not quite sad. Judy figured it was more... hopeless. Somehow.

"Are you?" Nick said, completely ignoring the waitress. Judy made a motion with her head, nodding towards the hyena. Nick, noticing what she was insinuating, turned to the waitress and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome sir." She replied, her voice much calmer. "En-... enjoy your meal."

The two of them watched as she walked back towards the kitchen. Nick noticed that she was limping slightly in her step, though he couldn't think of why. He dug into his salad nonetheless. "There's something wrong with that hyena," Judy muttered, as she glanced over at the kitchen.

"Probably," Nick mumbled, doing his best to seem impassive.

"Yeah... oh well," she said, turning back to her salad. At that moment, a lion walked into the diner from the kitchen. He made his way over to the two of them, smile etched onto his face.

"I am so sorry about our waitress, she's the only one that works this late, and she can be a bit of a klutz," the lion smiled kindly. But there was something else… Nick didn't bother looking, but Judy could see it in the lion's eyes. An emotion she couldn't quite identify.

"No worries, the food wasn't ruined," Nick sighed. It didn't really matter to him. If he had bothered to look, he would've realized what was wrong immediately.

"Worries indeed," the lion responded. "I can assure you she has been sufficiently punished, if that helps at all, sir."

Judy raised her ears in alarm. "Sufficiently punished? How so sir?" she asked. She saw the lion grin, and realized too late what he meant. The hyena was collared… it should've been obvious what the lion meant by _punishment_.

"Shenzi!" the lion called out loudly. Nick and Judy flinched from his harsh tone, but watched as the hyena waitress came slinking out of the kitchen and came to stand reluctantly beside her master. "See that collar around her neck?" the lion smirked, pointing at the device.

The hyena stood there with her eyes wide, breathing heavily. Judy frowned, what was going to happen? "Yes, I do" she said carefully. She had a sinking feeling she knew what was coming next.

"Well it's a shock collar, ma'am, and it delivers quite a nasty shock too whenever I press this button," the lion explained, holding out a little remote with two buttons on it. One was a deep red color and nearly twice the size of the second, white button. "When she screws up or upsets the patrons, this always comes in handy." He handed the remote to Nick and asked, "Do you wanna press the button? She did spill all over you."

Nick bristled at the offer, refusing to take the remote from the lion, and hissed, "No thanks. I said I was fine. No worries."

The lion shrugged, "Suit yourself." He pulled the remote back and hit the red button. The hyena let out a blood curling scream, immediately spasming and falling to the floor with a dull thud. The shock was only a single burst, but she didn't get up. Judy had to stop herself from gasping in horror at the sight of the hyena when she went down. And she didn't get up, she lied there with her knees drawn up to her chest, sobbing from the pain.

"There, that'll teach you to spill a customer's drink," the lion sighed. "I'm sorry again for the inconvenience, sir. It won't happen again." Nick ground his teeth together and nodded slowly, unable to take his eyes off the sobbing hyena. The lion walked away from the duo, leaving his employee, _or slave,_ Nick thought to himself, on the ground. Judy noticed Nick's paws curling into fists.

Judy didn't know what to do, there was a hyena who seemed to be extremely hurt right in front of her... but that lion had been fully within his rights. She wasn't supposed to interfere with collared criminals and the jobs they performed. She looked over at Nick. "Is something wrong?" she asked, looking down at his paws.

Nick took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, "Nothing. I'm... I'm fine." He still couldn't take his eyes off the hyena. Judy didn't need to know… she didn't need to know.

Judy's conscience couldn't take it anymore. "Ma'am? Are you all right?" she asked, hopping down from the booth next to the hyena. The hyena didn't respond, and only kept sobbing, drawing her knees all the way to her chest with her arms.

"Don't talk to her," Nick hissed. Judy turned to glare at him, but could only see concern etched in his face. "They don't like it when you try and comfort them... you'll only make it worse for her if the manager catches you."

"The lion's not around," she argued, swiveling her ears. "And look at her! She's broken down, she just needs a few words of comfort." She gestured towards the weeping hyena, who only rocked back and forth when she was pointed to.

"I wish it was just that simple," Nick sighed and went back to his food. If she wanted to comfort the hyena, then she could face the consequences when the lion found out.

Judy grumbled, she couldn't believe him! Why was he refusing to help someone who so clearly needed it? "Ma'am? Can you hear me?" Judy asked softly. The hyena let out another sob, but looked up at Judy with tears in her eyes nonetheless.

"Judy..." Nick said, his tone sending a clear warning not to interfere. But it was too late. He spotted the lion walking out of the kitchen again, eyes widening when he caught sight of Judy on the floor, trying to help the hyena.

The hyena looked over at the lion, and let out a cry of fear, instantly curling up into a tight little ball. "Oh... sir," Judy tried her hardest not to spit, only managing to take out some of the bite from her tone. She stood and dusted her uniform off and made eye contact with the lion.

"Ma'am," the lion started, but stopped. He had never experienced anything like this before. Most were willing to just watch a convicted criminal writhe in pain, he had never seen someone try and comfort the hyena. So he could only assume the hyena forced it upon his paying patron. "I must warn you to stay away from her. She is dangerous and I wasn't here, she could've hurt you." He pulled the remote out of his pocket again, pressing the red button as he did.

The waitress shut her eyes and screamed, her paws spasming as the shock rocketed through her body. Judy jumped away, horrified that the lion could so callously inflict pain. "Sir!" the hyena sobbed, remaining on the floor. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make a mistake!" she cried out.

Judy looked back at Nick, searching for some guidance, but was only met by a cold stare. "I told you so. There's nothing we can do for her," he growled. He took a sip of his coke just as the electricity stopped coursing through the hyena, halting her spasms.

"Sir... please..." the waitress sobbed as the lion picked her up and carried her back to the kitchen, his paw on the button.

"What's wrong with you Nick?!" Judy demanded the moment the door shut. It didn't make any sense… why was he being so cold about this?

"How much time ya got, Fluff?" Nick all but whispered, glaring at the door the lion and hyena had disappeared through.

"Just tell me what's wrong," she pleaded, glancing at the closed door. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard another scream. She let her ears down, just in case.

Nick growled lowly, his ears flattening against his head. "How familiar are you with my work prior to the police force?" he sighed after a short pause. He had promised that he would never reveal this, but it was Judy. _Judy..._ it wasn't like she was going to tell everyone. _My secret is safe with her,_ he thought to himself as he awaited her response.

"Oh..." Judy sat down, caught by surprise. "Uh... not at... all, actually." She rubbed the back of her neck embarrassed.

"Let's just say I wasn't the most savory of characters," Nick admitted. "But that changed after the collar."

Judy raised her eyebrow. "Collar?!" she asked, shocked. She had no idea that he had ever worn one. He never mentioned it, not even once during all their time together.

"Yeah, collar," Nick admitted. He watched as worry filled her eyes, but he remained as impassive as possible. "Petty thievery, lucky they didn't catch me doing something worse, otherwise I would've had to have worn it for longer than the week that I did."

"You had... a collar? Nick... why didn't you tell me?" Judy asked, her mouth agape.

"Because it's not a time I like to remember fondly," he growled in return. "It was, without a question, the most degrading, hellish, nightmare week I have ever experienced. And I had a contractor just like that lion, one who was a bit trigger happy. Always had his grubby little paw on that button, waiting for a reason to zap me."

"Nick... I'm... I'm sorry, I don't know what to say..." she stuttered, blown away by this revelation from her most trusted friend. She had never had an experience like that before, it wasn't like she could relate to him at all.

"Say nothing, please. It hurts enough knowing that you know about it," he looked down at his nearly empty bowl. "There wasn't anything you could've done. And there isn't anything you can do now for her."

Judy looked down at her lap. "You want to help that hyena, don't you?" she whispered, "Even more than me."

"I know what it's like, Judy," Nick admitted. "I know what it's like to look up at the sky with hope, only to see others walk right by you, not a care in the world. I know what it's like to have hundreds of volts sent through your neck for the smallest things... I know what it's like to suffer as she does. And I want to help, I want to help her, I really do... but the reality is that I, and you, can do nothing. So it's best to pretend this never happened and leave."

Judy scowled, "Nick, you know that isn't true." How could he just give up on another living being? When he himself would've so desperately wanted someone to help him… why would he not offer help now?

"Then what _can_ we do?" Nick snarled. "She's a criminal who chose this life. Society isn't going to take pity on her!"

Judy leaned back, why the hell was he so upset? "Nick, we're cops! It's our duty to help those who need it. And right now, I can tell you that hyena, unless she committed one hell of a crime, doesn't deserve what she's getting. And we both want to help her… where there's a will, there's a way!" she claimed, with indignation at Nick's outburst.

"All right then! Let's just bring the wrath of society down upon our shoulders! Or maybe watch as Zootopia crumbles to ruins as every collared criminal who "doesn't deserve it" is set free," Nick replied sarcastically. "We're cops, we're supposed to protect and serve "society" and criminals, especially collared ones, are no longer a part of society."

"Fine then! How about we determine that ourselves!" Judy shouted, angry at Nick for his... his... his stubbornness! "We'll ask her what she did!"

"Do you really think a criminal would want to talk about their crimes? You know, the reason she's suffering?" Nick asked.

"There's only one way to find out," Judy sighed, hopping out of her seat and grabbing Nick's paw, leading him to the kitchen.

"Bad idea, bad idea," Nick mumbled as he was dragged along towards the kitchen. They halted before entering, trying to see if the lion manager was still around. Judy peeked inside carefully, and saw the lion enter another room off from the kitchen, and lock it. Probably his office. Now was their chance! They entered the kitchen and immediately saw the hyena standing next to a counter with her head down next to the sink, sobbing quietly.

"Well? Go ahead," Nick said, pushing Judy forward. She gave him a glare, but he only shrugged, "I'm still against this entire idea."

"Ma'am?" Judy said softly, walking over to stand next to the sobbing hyena with her head on the counter. She looked up, then down at Judy. She let out a little gasp.

"Oh... hi," she managed, frown set heavily on her face. Nick walked over next to Judy, towering over her almost protectively. After all, the lion did say that the hyena was dangerous. But he doubted he could stand against a six foot tall hyena. Even if she was sobbing like a child who had scraped her knee.

"What do you guys want?" she asked, her voice mangled by her sniffling. "Do you want to... to... to shock me? You can if... if... if you want," she managed to stutter out, as she tried to, ineffectually, wipe away her tears.

"I'm pretty sure we'd need the remote to do that," Nick said sarcastically, earning a slap on his arm from Judy. She glared at him, but he only shrugged in response.

"No... you can just... you can just tap a button on my collar... here," she explained, pointing to the black box that administered the shocks. "But… but what do you want? I... I... I-I can help you," she said, sniffling with her legs shaking.

"Wow... now that's pathetic, she's really got us going, doesn't she, Carrots?" Nick sighed. No sane collared mammal would point out that their collar had a manual shock button. _His_ collar never had that feature. _Must be new,_ he grumbled to himself.

"What do you need?" the hyena asked, swallowing audibly. Nick's eyes widened slightly when he realized that she _truly_ believed that they just wanted to shock her.

Judy grimaced when she came to the same realization. "We would just like to talk to you," she replied.

Nick rolled his eyes and leaned against one of the stainless-steel counters. If push came to shove, he could likely at least get to that little black button in time to save Judy. Though the hyena seemed more afraid of him than he was of her. "About... about what?" she asked, stuttering as her voice was mangled with fear.

"Well ma'am... we would just like to know how you got... your collar," Judy said. The waitresses' eyes widened, and she frowned sadly.

"I... I was accused of stealing," she admitted.

"Stealing?" Nick asked, crossing his arms, and standing up straight again. "What did you steal?"

"Nothing," she replied quietly. "I didn't steal anything." She looked down at her paws, tears still leaking from her eyes.

"Right, and I'm not a fox. You're already wearing the collar, why bother hiding the truth?" Nick sighed.

"No!" the hyena sobbed, shaking her head fearfully. "I didn't steal anything!"

"Fine then, let's say we believe you," Nick said. "You didn't steal anything... then why are you wearing the collar?"

"Somebody said I stole something... and no one believed me when I said I didn't! I was only thirteen years old, why would I steal anything?" she asked, tears running down her cheeks.

"Thirteen!" Nick all but shouted. "How old are you now?"

"Twenty-three," she said, whimpering at Nick's tone. Judy's mouth opened, agape in horror as she realized what the hyena had said. Thirteen years old?

"That means... ten years, oh my god," Nick said, his own maw dropping open. He had stolen something too... but he only had to wear the collar for a week. "What were you accused of stealing?" Ten years? That's something they would attach to murder, not theft!

"I think somebody said it was a wallet. A wallet that had something important in it. Nobody told me what it was," she whimpered as she leaned back against the counter and slid down to the floor, hugging her knees.

"Oh shit..." Nick mumbled. He had done something objectively worse than that. Still… ten years! "Goddamn it, Judy... you had to know, didn't you?" Now he was feeling guilty for not caring earlier. There had to be something he could do…

Judy sighed. How had this hyena fallen so incredibly low? She had still practically been a child when she was collared! "How much longer do you..." she swallowed. "Have on your sentence?"

"Fifteen more years. I'm almost halfway," she whimpered. That was even worse. Twenty-five years for stealing a wallet? It made no sense… not even if the wallet was the damn Pope's would it have been worth _twenty-five years!_

Nick rubbed his chin thoughtfully, ears still flat against his head as he sighed, "Judy..." He could not just sit idly by while this animal was treated so unfairly. But…

"What is it?" Judy asked as Shenzi looked down at her waist and set her head on her knees.

Nick swallowed hard, "You were right... this is unfair. Twenty-five years for theft? That's unheard of! We have to do something." He bent down so that he was on the hyena's level, "Tell me... what has he done to you? How bad is it?"

The hyena looked up at Nick, her lip quivering. "He has a system," she said softly, frowning. "Every time I make a mistake... I get shocked. He makes me sleep here, on the floor. It's cheaper that way. I'm not allowed to take food from the kitchen… I get the leftovers... but only after they've been thrown out, then I get to root through the trashcan once we close. And... he does something else... something... else..." the waitress stuttered, even more tears streaming from her eyes.

"What... what did he do?" Nick growled. He had experienced the poor living conditions, the abuse, the rifling through garbage from his time under the collar... but if he was right about what he thought she was trying to say... she had it even worse than him. _And for ten years,_ the thought kept echoing in his mind.

Shenzi lifted her skirt up just a little bit, to show her thighs. And her thighs had claw marks, all over her leg and going up to her rump. "That's... where he grabs on... if you know what I mean," she cried out, going back to hugging her knees.

Nick let a sharp hiss exit his muzzle, "Fuck..." Judy watched as Nick's demeanor changed rapidly from compassion to anger and back again. He was unsure whether to be sorry for the hyena's condition, angry at the mammal who did this to her, or worried for the hyena's future. "We have to do something, Judy." She knew he was being serious... he only ever called her by her real name when he was being serious.

"Well... we've got to do something," she whispered. "There has to be a way to transfer contracts."

"I may have lied earlier, Judy," Nick admitted. "There _is_ something we can do." They were still wearing their uniforms, badges evident on their chests. Nick took his badge off and drew his gun, cocking it. The only thing they could do.

Judy looked at Nick, horrified at what he was suggesting. "Nick…" she said softly, but paused when she saw the serious expression on his face. It was the only way. She looked at Shenzi, still crying, and gave a loud sigh, taking out her own gun.

"There are only two ways to exchange contracts. If the current holder gives it up willingly, or if he/she is dead," Nick explained, standing. "I doubt this shitty place has cameras, and we haven't paid yet so it isn't like anyone will know we were here."

"He's a monster. I don't think I have a problem with it," Judy said, scowling. "Let's just hope he has no family." Not that it would really matter… any family this piece of shit had probably wasn't much better than he was.

"Take your badge off, Judy," Nick sighed as he walked over to the door. "What we're about to do is highly illegal... even if it is the right thing to do. After this, Shenzi, was it?" The hyena nodded in confirmation, "You need to run. It doesn't matter where."

"Wait," Judy said, stopping. She removed her badge, but still gave Nick a hard look. She wanted to be absolutely sure he was thinking this through clearly. They could not afford to make a mistake. "If we kill her boss... where does she go? She'll just get caught, all collars have trackers! And she'll be accused of killing the lion! We can't just... set her free, that won't work!"

"No, that's the point," Nick said. "We… need her to get pinned with this. They'll tack on a few more years to her time, ten, maybe more... but then we take her as contractors. It's the best outcome, Judy."

"Oh..." she realized what he was getting at. "That works. But for a quick trial, I think we need to fix the crime scene." Killing someone in cold blood, tampering with evidence, pinning a crime on someone else… none of these things were what good cops did. But she couldn't look at the hyena's pathetic display any longer… something had to be done.

"Maybe she would benefit from desecrating the corpse," Nick suggested. "Think you'd be willing to maul him a bit? After he's dead, I mean."

"We'll see," Judy grumbled, as she opened the kitchen door. She wasn't sure how it would help… they would still find the bullets.

"I was talking to the hyena," Nick mumbled as he followed her. "Go for the kill shot, the fewer bullets we pump into him, the better."

The door to the office was locked, but Nick had already thought of how to get through the door. Quickly and quietly, he picked the lock with practice ease. Sometimes it paid to have a criminal background. They entered the office quietly, guns drawn and aimed at the lion, who was fast asleep in his chair. He did not react to the intrusion, just grunting in his sleep.

"Perfect," Judy muttered. She marched up to him, and put a gun to his throat. He did not react to the cold polymer of the gun being placed against his fur. She hesitated before pulling the trigger, suddenly unsure of herself. All her police training came back to her… she wasn't supposed to do this. But she thought of how the hyena had cried. How her tears leaked from those yellow eyes… how she described what the lion had done to her. And she pulled the trigger.

"Well that was convenient," Nick mumbled as blood and brain matter splattered across the desk. He smirked when Judy gagged slightly as she was covered in the gore, while he was untouched. He hesitated for a moment before pumping another shot into the lion's skull. "I'm sorry... I couldn't resist."

"I suppose not," she said, glancing at her chest, which had been covered in blood. "Take care of the hyena, I'm going to the bathroom," she ordered, hurrying out of the room and towards the restroom.

Nick nodded to himself and walked back into the kitchen to see Shenzi still curled up against the counter. "Hey," he called for her, causing her to look up.

"What... what were those bangs?" she asked, fear spreading across her features. She had sat there against the counter as the patrons walked into her master's office… then there were bangs… she was so confused.

"Uh..." Nick said, thankful that Judy hadn't come in all bloody. That might of been worse. "Your contractor... he's dead."

The hyena breathed in and out for a few moments, staring at Nick, seemingly in disbelief. "Ahadi?" she asked. "He's... dead?"

Nick nodded slowly, "Listen, I need you to do something for me. But if you don't think you can do it, that's fine." He had some experience dealing with traumatized victims, thanks to his time on the force, and he could only guess how badly the hyena might be damaged. Both physically and mentally.

"What is it?" she asked, her lip quivering.

"I know this might be difficult for you to understand, but we need you to... uh, maul your contractor," he explained. He wished there was a better way to put it, but this wasn't exactly a topic that he could state tactfully.

"Maul him? But... I'll get shocked!" she said, her breathing increasing. "I always get shocked when I make a mistake!"

Nick raised an eyebrow, "He's dead. He can't shock you anymore."

"But I always get shocked when I make a mistake!" she cried out, tearing up again. Nick sighed to himself… he wasn't going to make any progress like this. She was so damaged that she couldn't even comprehend the fact that the lion had to be alive to shock her. So, he tried to switch gears.

"Then what if I told you that you wouldn't be making a mistake?" Nick suggested. "Your contractor was a very, very bad lion... and anything that you do to him is well deserved. And definitely not a mistake."

"But... I..." Shenzi was panting, she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as she sobbed. Nick sighed and helped her up, leading her by the paw to the office.

"Just release all your anger and hatred on him. Do whatever it is that you feel you must do," Nick recommended when she hesitated in front of the dead body.

Shenzi stared at the corpse of her master, her tears falling onto her skirt. She... she didn't know what to do! The lion... what if this was an act! What if he was going to shock her? What was he going to do to her? Every time Shenzi didn't do what he wanted, she got hurt...a lot. A lot, a lot, a lot. A lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, _a lot!_ Oh... what was she supposed to do?

The fox... the fox was nice. The fox didn't hurt her, he didn't want to hurt her. She didn't want to get hurt... getting hurt made things hurt. The lion made her hurt, and she didn't want to hurt. "Uh…" she stuttered, as she leaned down in front of the body. Sobbing loudly, she cut the lion's head, digging her claws in. She dragged her claws downwards, tearing into his skin, ripping his shirt, and bloodying his chest.

She bit into him, taking out large chunks of his flesh, randomly around his body. "It's okay, he can't hurt you," Nick said, his voice as soothing as he could possibly make it. "He can't hurt you ever again."

Shenzi finished her work, standing, and sobbing next to the body. She turned to the fox, completely confused. "What... what now?" she squeaked.

"Run," was his simple suggestion. Shenzi looked at him, utterly perplexed, so he continued. "They'll find you, yes, and you need to surrender to them immediately. We'll take care of the rest." Shenzi looked at the fox and the lion, crying as she did. With a loud sob, she ran out of the kitchen, out of the restaurant, and made a run for it.

Nick let out a loud sigh and waited for Judy to get back to him. He wondered briefly if they should remove the head of the lion, where the bullets had gone it, that way the true cause of death couldn't be identified. He shrugged to himself, there was a good chance he would have to do that.

Judy came back not moments later, carrying her police uniform, parts of it still red. She was wearing just her white undershirt and her underwear. "So it turns out blood is real sticky," she moaned.

Nick couldn't help but smirk at her state of dress. She had been lucky not to get too much blood in her fur, but he could see splashes of red across her face and ears. "You can just take a shower when we get home… and you're going to have to trash that uniform," he said.

"Whatever," she sighed, silently agreeing with him. The uniform was ruined, blood was not easy to get out. "Anyways… where's the hyena?"

"Gone," Nick answered. "And we should be too... after we take his head."

"Yech. You can do that, I'm going to get the car started," she stated as she turned and left the building.

"Wait..." Nick called out, but it was too late, she was gone. "I'm going to need some help... shit," he sighed to himself. How was he going to remove the lion's head by himself? He exited the room and walked into the kitchen, fumbling around until he found what he was looking for. A very large meat cleaver. Sighing, he took the cleaver into the lion's office and with one strong swing, cleaved through the lion's neck and spine, severing his head from his body.

Taking deep breaths, he grabbed the head, ignoring the fact that _he_ was now covered in blood, and walked towards the car. He paused by the register to grab a plastic doggy bag, to which he stuffed the head in. Now that it was no longer dripping, he exited the establishment and climbed into the cruiser. He handed Judy her badge back and clipped his onto his chest, tossing the head into the back seat... as if the entire incident had never happened.

"Nick... you've got more blood on you than I do, and I shot an animal. I take it you aren't very careful," Judy smirked, doing her best to inject the situation with morbid humor.

"Have you ever cut an animal's head off with a meat cleaver?!" Nick asked. "No, you haven't. So, shut up and drive. Perhaps we can take a shower together when we get home," he winked at her. Judy only rolled her eyes, and turned back to the task at hand, driving the two of them back to their shared apartment.

XXX

 **So, there you have it! It's… a bit gritty, perhaps, and whether or not Nick and Judy did the right thing may not be immediately apparent. Hopefully you can still see the two different writing styles at play here… I tried not to change too much of All Hail King Scar's style when I was editing, as my own style is a bit… overbearing. Yeah, All Hail King Scar and I are both big fans of both Lion King and Zootopia, so neither of us could resist including a few Lion King characters. Yes… uh, so as of this moment, the story is rated 'T.' I'm not sure if the story is going to remain that way, at the very least, there might be a bump in the rating in a few chapters… but, again, we haven't decided yet. So… please, stay tuned until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Utility:

Author's Note:

 **Well the last chapter was a bit depressing. And our favorite duo killed someone. Yeah… I wonder what sort of repercussions they face now. And, of course, there's that hyena they "saved." Lots of things going on here that we can explore. So… please, enjoy!**

XXX

The duo had rushed to the precinct the moment the trial was over. It had only taken two days for the hyena to be caught and arrested, peacefully. Now all that was left was taking her on as a contract. Which was easier said than done. "Okay, okay. We just need to get this..." Judy took the piece of paper from the printer, "Signed and authorized."

"Uh... who's going to take her on? It can't be both of us," Nick said. Whoever decided to take her would have to sign the document and then present it to the judge who presided over her case.

"We live together Nick," Judy smirked. "And besides, you know how..." she coughed, "Broken... she is. It'll take both of us to help her."

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying that she can only have one contractor," Nick rolled his eyes. It was the law, one contractor per contract… though there wasn't a law prohibiting multiple contracts per contractor.

"It should be you. You're the one who decided to kill the lion… even if I was the one to pull the trigger. But we both need take care of her. And there are new... complications," Judy muttered.

"All right, I just thought you might want to take her on. After all, you are the more senior officer," Nick grinned. But he paused, "What complications?" He hadn't been warned of any new complications.

"She's gotten ten more years for 'her' crime, and without a good lawyer, she had no chance of proving it wasn't her. Which... is the problem in the first place. But anyways, due to the nature of her crime, for it to be possible for her to get another contract, there had to be extra collar restrictions. And they can't be unimplemented," Judy explained, frowning.

"Damn it, I thought this might happen," Nick sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "It doesn't matter. We just won't shock her. We'll spend time rebuilding her, rehabilitating her, and then when her time is up, we can watch her go in peace. Extra collar restrictions be damned."

"It'll just make it more difficult, that's all. Her personal freedoms will be... eh... null, without our help. We'll try, but it will be a bit difficult, is all. Especially if she's fragile," she said.

"Well, she's going to be fragile either way," Nick grumbled, signing the document. "And it's not going to help that we're going to be dragging her along for the ride." He paused, putting the pen down as he thought carefully about what he was going to say next. "Do you think she hates us for what we did?" he whispered after a moment of silence.

Judy sighed. "Twenty-five more years with a collar, but nice contractors. Fifteen more years, but a living hell. I hope she realizes it was for the best," she said, shrugging as she did. There really was no way to know what that hyena was going to think.

"Well, we won't know until we go and talk to her," Nick said, standing, his back cracking from the action. "Let's go get this authorized."

The duo left the precinct, contract in Nick's paws, and made their way towards the courthouse. The trial had only ended an hour ago, but hopefully the judge who sentenced her would still be there.

They entered and made their way through the building, easily locating the judge's office. Judy knocked on the office door, calling, "Hello?" as she did. The door swung open to reveal a grizzled, old, grizzly bear. He wore spectacles on the bridge of his nose and his fur was graying in some areas.

He said with a tired, but deep, authoritative, voice, "How may I help you?" He recognized the two officers standing in his doorway, as they were wearing their police uniforms. He also spotted the contract in the fox's paws. _That's interesting,_ the judge thought to himself.

"We're here to get a contract signed," Judy said, motioning towards the contract in Nick's paws. Nick handed the contract to the judge.

"Well that was fast," the bear mumbled, but invited them into his office nonetheless. He sat down behind his desk, chair squeaking as he did, and laid the piece of paper down in front of him. He read it over before saying, "You want to take that hyena murderer under contract?"

Judy coughed into her paw. "Yes. We feel we could make her useful," she replied.

"I see," the bear grumbled. He took a rather old fashioned looking pen and scribbled his name in the blank. "Ironic that a murderer will be helping solve murders, don't you think?"

"Sa... solve what?" Judy asked, a little confused by what the bear meant. The judge had made it sound like the hyena would be helping with cases… which was absurd. She could barely function… how would she be any help on cases?

"Murder cases, that's what I assume you two do at the ZPD, right?" the bear said, handing the paper back to Nick. He took the contract back and folded it, slipping it into his pocket.

"We're all rounders. Our smaller size has us move around a lot, wherever they need smaller mammals," Judy replied. "But... I don't think she'll be actually helping us... solve cases."

"Hmm... then why would you want her for a contract? I assume you looked over her file? IQ of 189, I would think that would make for a very interesting consultant, don't you think?" the bear said, leaning back in his chair, it squeaking once more.

Judy's mind raced. She had always sort of assumed Shenzi would simply... help around the apartment, or something. Like a maid, maybe. She and Nick had never discussed what exactly she would be doing, the tricky part was getting her in the first place, that's where their efforts had been concentrated.

"Uh... yeah. Something like that," she replied. Maybe they should have spent more time researching who they were taking on, rather than just trying to get their paws on her contract. Now the judge was convinced she was going to be helping _with cases_. Given her current state, Judy didn't think Shenzi would be a good consultant… for anything.

"Well, I hope that you get that all sorted out. She's in cell 338, show the guard the contract, but hold onto it," the bear said.

"We got it," Judy said, nodding her head. The prison was not far from the courthouse, it was within walking distance. They showed the contract to the warden, who only nodded and gave them Shenzi's collar remote. Finally, they were allowed to pick her up. A single guard led them to Shenzi's cell.

"Shenzi," Nick greeted as the two stepped into the cell. The guard who had led them to the cell left them be. They were officers, and they were armed with the hyena's remote. They didn't need a guard.

The hyena had been sitting on the bed staring at the wall. When Nick and Judy entered, she let out a little gasp, and turned to look at them, fear in her eyes. "He-hello," she said, anxiety written across her face.

"Do you remember us?" Nick asked, looking behind him to make sure the guard had disappeared. He had. They were alone in the cell.

"Uh..." Shenzi swallowed audibly. "You're the nice fox." She didn't know what else to call him. He had… done something to get her away from the mean lion. But he had been kind to her, so she deemed him nice.

"That's right," Nick said, putting a smile on his face. Nice fox, he did like the sound of that. "Do you know why we're here?"

"N-... no," she stuttered, her gaze flicked back and forth between Nick and Judy quickly. She wasn't sure who to focus on. The fox was the one talking, but the rabbit stood by the open door to the cell with her arms crossed. Were they letting her go?

"I've picked you up as a contract, we're your new caretakers," Nick continued to give that same comforting smile. It seemed to calm her a bit.

Shenzi's breathing quickened, and she gripped her bed tightly. The last animal to say that to her… did terrible things. "You... you're a nice fox, right?" she asked. But then again, the fox was giving her a kind smile… the lion had only sneered at her.

"Of course," Nick continued to smile. "I promise that I won't ever use that shock collar on you... although I'm afraid that I won't be able to remove it."

"How... how long will it... how long will it be on?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice.

Nick swallowed slowly and glanced at Judy. She only motioned for him to continue. She should know how long the collar was going to be on… the judge should have told her when he sentenced her. Had she forgotten? He let out a sigh and said, "I'm afraid you've been given a ten-year extension to your sentence."

"Ten!... Ten years?" she squeaked, her expression falling. She _had_ forgotten. That meant that she had twenty-five more years to serve.

"I know, I know it seems bad," Nick said, sitting on the bed next to her curled up form. He looked towards Judy for guidance, but she only smirked at him. He had to do this himself… she had spoken to the judge.

"But you're with us now. And sure, you're going to have to help us with cases, but I promise you'll eventually forget that shock collar is even there. It might even rust away from disuse!" Nick gave her another comforting smile. Judy only shook her head at his ideological thinking. And _she_ was the one with misplaced ideals.

Judy looked at Shenzi and sighed. How was this hyena supposed to help on cases? Especially considering the state she was in. Shenzi swallowed, looking over at Nick, looking... very sad. "You're... the nice fox... right?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, I'm the nice fox. I'll never hurt you, and neither will the nice bunny," Nick said, hesitantly petting her. He couldn't think of anything else to do. "My name is Nick, and that's Judy... though you can just call her Carrots."

"Carrots? Nice... Carrots?" Shenzi asked, confusion now showing through her scared expression. She wasn't sure what to make of a bunny named Carrots.

Nick couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face as Judy gave him the most hateful, disdainful look she could muster. "Yes, nice Carrots. She won't hurt you either. We're going to get you out of this place, aren't we, Carrots?"

"Yeah... we're leaving. And right now," Judy growled, stepping out of the cell. Of course, he had to get _her_ to call her Carrots as well. Taking Shenzi's paw, Nick led her out of the cell and towards the exit of the building.

They got into Nick's car, with Shenzi in the backseat. "So... Nice Fox... and Nice Carrots?" the hyena asked, breathing anxiously.

"Yes?" Nick asked, he had let Judy take the wheel so he could continue to give Shenzi eye contact while she was whisked away to a new environment. It didn't look like Shenzi was going to call either of them by their name. He was used to giving animals nicknames, but he had never been given one in return. Though… Nice Fox was more of an observation rather than a nickname.

"What's... What's my job? My... contract?" she asked, frowning as the confusion welled within her. "What do I have to do so you won't shock me?"

Nick licked his lips slowly, "You're being signed up as a police consultant, namely, our consultant. We don't want to lay it on you too fast or too soon, but it was the only way we could get your contract." It wasn't necessarily true, but who knows _what_ that judge was thinking.

He let out a deep sigh, "And neither I, nor Carrots, will ever, and I mean _ever_ , shock you. Period."

"A consultant?" she asked. She had never heard of that term before. "What do... what do I do?" she asked. "What do I have to do?"

"You basically just follow us, point out things that we wouldn't otherwise notice, and try and solve crimes. Have you ever seen Sherlock Holmes?" Nick asked. It was the only police consultant he could think of.

"Sherlock Holmes? I... I saw that. Years ago. Before my collar," she said quietly. "I didn't do anything after my collar except... except get hurt."

"The hurt is over. We're going to take care of you and all you have to do is what you can. Just like Sherlock Holmes," Nick explained. He wouldn't mention the fact that Sherlock was an asshole, an abuser of drugs, nor the fact that he was only given the most difficult, impossible of cases. She wouldn't have it that bad.

"Will... Nice Carrots... be there too?" she asked.

Nick couldn't help the huge smile that spread across his face. "Nice Carrots will be there every step of the way. But before you start worrying about your new job, we're going to show you to your new home," he said as Judy pulled into the parking lot for their apartment building.

"Home? Home? Like... like... family? And... no shocks?" she asked, frowning sadly, but her voice seemed to contain childish innocence. She almost didn't believe the Nice Fox. She hadn't had a _real_ home in so long… and she was still skeptical of the fox's promise of no shocks.

"Yeah, a comfortable place to stay, a _real_ bed, no shocks... and I guess we're as good as family, aren't we, Carrots?" Nick smirked.

"Family? What's Nice Carrots? What are you, Nice Fox?" She asked, just as anxious as she had been in the prison. Judy figured her constant worry was brought on by the constant shocks. An acute case of paranoia.

"I dunno, what do you think, Carrots? What are we?" Nick shrugged, unsure of how to answer her question.

"I think... Nice Carrots is like... like a mommy," Shenzi said, voice barely above a hushed whisper. "She looks like one... I think..."

Nick stifled his chuckle, and said, "If that's what you think. Any objections, Carrots?"

Judy cast Nick a strange look. This was taking an... unexpected turn. She had not expected the hyena to call her _that._ It was at that moment she realized exactly what had happened to Shenzi. "Sure... I'm mommy," she sighed. She wasn't sure if it was any better than Carrots.

"What do I call you? Mommy, or Nice Carrots?" Shenzi asked, sensing Judy's apprehension.

"I think Carrots might be best while we're working, but feel free to call us whatever you want when we're home," Nick rationed. He could imagine the strange looks already. Not to mention what their coworkers will think about them taking on a contract.

"Thanks... but I think Nice Carrots… is better," she said carefully. She didn't want to upset Nice Carrots… otherwise she'd be shocked.

Nick nodded, though he knew he would never get used to being called Nice Fox, and exited the car. They made their way to their apartment, Shenzi's new home. The two of them had beforehand bought Shenzi new clothes for her to wear, so she wouldn't have to deal with the prison uniform any longer than she had to.

They entered the apartment, and Shenzi looked around. "Is this... home? Nice Carrots? Nice Fox?" she asked, breathing deeply. Both from fear and excitement. She had a _home._ The mean lion had never offered her such.

"Yes... this is home," Nick explained. The apartment was decent sized, with a kitchen area, a living room, a single bedroom, and a bathroom. Although there was only a single bedroom, the couch folded out into a bed.

"What do I do for you?" she asked, looking around. The apartment wasn't exactly… clean. Clothes were strewn across the floor and over what little furniture there was. Although there wasn't much of it, there was trash left out on the end tables. It wasn't a dump… but it wasn't clean either.

"You live here. With us. Maybe help around the house if we need it, but like I said before, your main job is to help us with cases," Nick explained. Though, now he was having second thoughts about that. But it was too late to back out now.

"Help? I can help. I… I'll try not to let you down. I swear," she said, swallowing hard. She didn't dare think of what would happen if she failed the Nice Fox.

Nick nodded, still smiling, though his face was starting to hurt, "Please, feel free to explore."

Judy walked up next to Nick, watching Shenzi as she looked around. "Nice Carrots?" the hyena asked hesitantly.

"Yes Shenzi?" Judy said.

"Uh... can I have some... clothes? O-only if you have any extras, of course," she asked tentatively, still afraid. She didn't want to push her luck, but even the Mean Lion had given her clothes to wear after he had taken her contract.

"Yes, we have some clothes ready for you. Carrots, if you would?" Nick grinned, happy that they had thought ahead.

"Uh... yes," Judy said, going over to their shared bedroom, and dug through the dresser. They weren't sure what exactly Shenzi would want to wear, so they got a variety. Judy took out a skirt and a T-shirt, and handed them to the hyena, who had followed her into the bedroom.

"Can I?" she asked, taking the clothes from Judy. This was much nicer than what the mean lion had given her. He had only given her a single, ratty maid's uniform. It looked like there were more outfits for her in that drawer. Judy nodded. "Th-thanks... Nice Carrots," Shenzi said, going into the bathroom to change.

"Well, what'd ya think?" Nick asked as the hyena changed. It was a bit... odd, to say the least. The hyena was nearly as old as Judy was, and yet she acted like a child. _It must have been the abuse… coupled with the shocks that made her regress to this child-like state,_ he rationed.

"She's even more broken than I thought," Judy sighed as the two of them took a seat on the couch. "We need to help her. She... she called me mommy." Judy crinkled her nose, she wasn't ready to be a mother.

Nick couldn't hold it anymore, he burst out laughing. "Mommy, my god, I'm never going to let you hear the end of that. Do you really think she is as intelligent as the judge said she was... or do you think it's gone?"

Judy glared at Nick as he laughed. "In any case... it's probably still there. But she's been conditioned into a much more primitive, submissive, and fearful lifestyle for so long that she simply doesn't care. She just wants to avoid getting hurt. But if we helped her... maybe we'll see her intelligent side more often."

Nick cracked his neck, "I hope so. I'd hate to say it, but if she doesn't perform then we may be forced to let her go... she could fuck up all she wanted at the diner and never change contractors, but police work is a different story. I don't want to think of her having someone either than us."

"If she can't perform with us, there's always use as our maid, I guess," Judy suggested. "Just think, we'd never have to clean up around here again." She couldn't help but chuckle.

"We really do need someone to clean up after you, I'm about sick of doing it," he grinned. "I guess we can make that our fallback, then."

"Or her side duty. I'll bet she'll listen to whatever we said," Judy grinned. Just then, they heard the bathroom door open and Shenzi entered the living room, wearing her new skirt and T-shirt.

"Nice Fox, Nice Carrots. Thank you," she said, bowing ever so slightly. The clothes were comfortable and didn't look bad on her either.

"Yup, that'll do it," Nick nodded. He wondered briefly if she'd need a uniform for helping them... though he doubted it. Sherlock never needed a uniform. Then again, Sherlock wasn't real. "Oh, damn, hey Carrots, I just thought of something."

"What?" Judy asked, as Shenzi stood by anxiously. _Was there a problem? Did I do something wrong?!_ the hyena's panicked mind couldn't help but to jump to conclusions.

"How are we going to explain this to the precinct... let alone Bogo?" he asked. There were _no_ collared animals working at the ZPD. Not a single one… introducing one would definitely take some explaining.

"Uh... that we got a collared criminal to help us out, because we're overworked," she tried. She understood where Nick was coming from, Bogo wouldn't just believe any excuse.

Nick sighed and rubbed his muzzle. "Obviously there's more to it than that. What if Bogo asks why we picked her? And then he asks for a demonstration? What if Bogo is suspicious about her circumstances?" Now he was starting to panic.

He turned to Shenzi and, with a very serious look on his face, said, "You cannot say that you have met us before. You cannot tell anyone that we were at the diner that night we freed you. You cannot say that we were the ones who killed your contractor. That would be bad for _all_ of us."

Shenzi nodded slowly, eyes wide. His sudden panic was starting to frighten her. But she had promised that she would never let down Nice Fox or Nice Carrots. And so, she wouldn't.

Nick sighed, "Good. Now, what do we do about Bogo? He's not an idiot, he'll want to see proof of her capabilities... and it's not like we can just hide her."

"We'll make it. We can always pull a few favors if we have to," Judy shrugged, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Right, with Bogo, who still clearly doesn't approve of our 'office fraternization.' " Nick grumbled, making air quotes with his paws.

"Fraternization? We don't... fraternize," Judy said with indignation.

"Don't we?" Nick smirked.

"Uh..." Judy thought back to the day before. She and Nick didn't... fraternize... or at least she had thought they had never been caught.

"Whatever, Bogo thinks we do, and that's enough for him," Nick sighed.

"Oh..." Judy gulped. She had thought no one had noticed, especially Bogo.

"Yeah, so what now Fluff?" he asked. He supposed they would just have to play it by ear. If Bogo didn't buy their story, nor did Shenzi pass whatever test he would cook up… they would just take her back here.

"Get Shenzi situated," Judy replied. Shenzi had been standing by, waiting patiently, and not interrupting.

"Yes, Nice Carrots?" she asked.

"Right... I guess we'll take this one step at a time. But, just in case," Nick said, turning to Shenzi, "Shenzi, what's seventeen squared?" It was a stupid test, he knew, but it was the only thing he could think of off the top of his head.

"289?" she replied immediately, hardly even thinking. "Uh... I'm sorry Nice Fox... I know there's something wrong with me," she finished, sounding ashamed. She had failed him already.

Nick's eyes widened slightly, "Yeah, that's right, actually. There's nothing wrong with you." Well… that wasn't necessarily true. Judy gave him a strange look, but he answered with, "My uncle would ask me that every time I saw him... it's like the only math thing I know."

"It's right?" Shenzi asked.

"Yeah... you got it right," Judy said, impressed. Though she knew Bogo would give her a much harder test.

"Oh... you're welcome Nice Fox. I'm glad I performed correctly," Shenzi said, a small smile appearing on her face as she relaxed slightly.

"Yeah, you'll do fine... damn it, I had something for you, but I lost it," Nick mumbled to himself. "How much time until our shift officer Carrots?"

"Another hour or so. Plenty of time for us to get to know each other," Judy answered.

"I had the perfect thing… but I lost it. A little help, Carrots?" he crossed his arms. He was usually so good at this, but it was gone.

"Uh... Spots?" Judy suggested, knowing exactly what Nick was looking for. He always did like nicknames, and now Shenzi needed one too.

Nick slapped a paw to his forehead, "That's the one! Very well, Spots it is."

Shenzi licked her lips anxiously. "My name is Spots?" she asked, not quite understanding what just happened. Her name was Shenzi. Why had they given her a new name? She… she liked her old name, did she need to change it?!

Judy nodded. "Your nickname," she corrected.

"Oh... I'll be the best Spots there is... for Nice Fox and Nice Carrots," she said, nodding to herself.

"You just be you, don't worry about being the best, just be you," Nick suggested. He patted the spot between him and Judy on the couch, a silent plea for her to sit down. She hesitated, but eventually sat down between Nick and Judy.

"But..." Shenzi frowned, worry etched into her features. "If I'm not the best Spots... I'll make... mistakes."

Nick let out a sigh, "What mistakes? How can you possibly make a mistake just being yourself?"

Shenzi swallowed. "I don't know... but I don't want to make a mistake. Mistakes... mistakes hurt," she said.

Nick gave her a comforting smile, "Trust me, Spots, there is no hurt here, there are no mistakes to be made here. Isn't that right, Carrots?"

"Yeah! No hurt might get... difficult here in a moment, but we'll do our best to keep you from getting shocked, and believe us, we will never, ever do it on purpose." Judy said, reaffirming what Nick had already said and smiling at Shenzi reassuringly.

"But hey, now that you're here, we would like to help you settle in, and get to know our new friend. We're just going to ask you a few questions about yourself, is that all right, Spots?" Judy asked.

"All right... Nice Carrots," Shenzi replied, casting a nervous smile.

"Q and A, Carrots? Really?" Nick smirked, "Take it away, then."

Judy cast Nick a glare. It wasn't like _he_ had a better idea. "Okay, first off, we would just like to know more about you. So, would you mind telling us about yourself?" Judy asked. Neither of them knew anything about the collared hyena that was sitting on their couch.

Shenzi looked down at her paws. "Uh... I'm weak. I'm... subservient... ignorant... stupid... worthless... and helpless…" she frowned. She didn't like talking about herself… she never had anything good to say.

"All right... let's not start with opinion questions, then," Nick grumbled. It seemed she had a self-esteem issue as well. He made a mental note to work on that. He thought for a moment before saying, "Can you tell us your full name? We only know you as Shenzi... or Spots."

"Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena," she replied. "My mommy called me little one, and the Mean Lion called me fucking worthless."

"Yikes... that's a mouthful," Nick noted aloud, though he passed over what the lion had referred to her as. "Well, we'll just call ya Spots... or Shenzi at the workplace. So, uh, do you have any family?"

"I did. I don't know where they are now. I lost them... I don't know where they are. I... I wish I did," she all but whispered.

Nick nodded slowly, noting that question only upset her more. It was like navigating a minefield… clearly a bad idea. He took a deep breath, wondering what he should ask next. He turned to Judy, a silent plea to say something. It felt odd enough, as if they were conducting some sort of strange interview.

"Okay... do you have any friends, then?" Judy asked.

"I have one. His name is Banzai. But I haven't seen him since I met you guys," she said, frowning sadly. She was ashamed that she nearly forgotten about him.

A friend! That's something... they would have to make contact with this friend. Perhaps he could be the key to her recovery. "Is there any way you could contact him? We wouldn't want to separate you from your friends," Nick asked.

"He used to visit me at the diner. I don't know where he lives, but he gave me his phone number, and said I should call it if things ever got bad. You know... when the lion... hurt me... here..." Shenzi shivered, and placed her paw on her waist. "He often got himself beat up for trying to help me."

"How much time we got again, Carrots? Until our shift?" Nick asked, pulling out his phone. _She could have been worse… what if this Banzai had never befriended her… or protected her? How would she have turned out then?_ he didn't even want to think about it.

"Forty-five minutes," Judy sighed.

"Yeah, we've got time," he mumbled, pulling up the keypad. "Just type his number in here and tell him what happened... don't get him too worried though. Maybe pick a place to meet tomorrow so we can all go and see him." He handed the phone to Shenzi.

Shenzi nodded, and dialed Banzai's number. It began to ring and, only a few moments later, someone picked up. "Who the hell is this?" came the grumpy response. It sounded as if he had just woken up.

"Uh... Banzai?" Shenzi asked, sounding a little bit hopeful.

"Shenzi?" the voice on the other end said. He hadn't seen or heard from her in a while, and he had started to become worried. But he hadn't had the time to visit her at the diner in a few days.

"Hey Banzai!" Shenzi said, smiling weakly, even though she knew he couldn't see her. He always did like it when she smiled. "I... got a Nice Fox!" she exclaimed.

"A... nice fox? What'd ya do? Kidnap him... Shenzi... did you kidnap someone?" he said, concern creeping into his tone.

"What? No, Banzai... I was given ten more years with... well... with... my collar," Shenzi's posture drooped a little bit.

"What?! Ten more years! What does this have to do with a nice fox?" he all but shouted. He was starting to panic... what did she do? Did she really kidnap someone?

"But... Banzai... my contractor, he's a nice fox," she said innocently. "And there's a Nice Carrots here too."

"Hold on, back up... contractor? What happened to that piece of shit lion? And what's a nice carrots? Does the fox give you carrots to eat? You can't eat that!"

Shenzi frowned, why was Banzai upset? "No, I'm not eating any carrots. I said there was a Nice Carrots. And... they told me to call you. So they could meet you," she explained.

"I was just concerned... don't eat carrots, all right? I'm still a bit confused here. What happened to your previous contractor?" he said slowly, as if speaking to a child.

"I think Nice Carrots and Nice Fox killed him. And now I have them! And... and Banzai... they said they wouldn't hurt me!" she said, excited.

"Woah, woah, woah! Killed him? Shenzi... did they frame you for murder?" Banzai asked, once again extremely concerned. So concerned that he passed over the fact that she said they wouldn't hurt her.

"Huh... I-I don't know," she stuttered, "Is that a bad thing?"

"I... I don't know," Banzai mumbled. On the one hand, that lion deserved it. On the other... what if her new contractor is worse than her previous? He couldn't take that chance. "Put one of them on, I wanna talk to them."

Shenzi handed the phone to the Nice Fox. "Uh... hello?" Nick said hesitantly. He wasn't sure why Spots just handed him the phone.

"Are you her contractor?!" Banzai demanded, nearly breathless.

"Uh, yeah. I'm her contractor," Nick said. _That_ was also going to be taking some getting used to. Nice Fox, contractor, today was a weird day.

Banzai braced himself. "Well... I'm your... new slave's... only friend. I would just like to know how... you're treating her," he said, desperately hoping they weren't as bad as the lion. Collared animals were universally despised, oh… he hoped it wasn't too bad.

"Slave? Why would you think she'd be a... oh... you know that we freed her, right? We took her on to prevent her from being someone's 'slave,' " Nick explained. "We're going to treat her like a goddamn thinking being! We've given her a place to sleep, food to eat, and a purpose while that collar is on her. We don't want to hurt her... it's not like that."

"You... you don't want to hurt her?" Banzai asked, suddenly suspicious, as worry welled up inside him. "How's that?"

"We're police officers, sir... our motto is to protect and serve, not to harm unnecessarily. She was suffering, so we protected her, and now we're continuing to protect her," Nick explained.

"You're police?!" the voice exclaimed. "Uh... how... how did you get her?" Though he had a sinking feeling that Shenzi had already answered that question.

"We may have... pulled some strings. But trust us, she's going to be perfectly fine with us," Nick said.

"How is she?" he asked, as little tinges of relief arrived in his tone.

"Uh... a little broken, but nothing a few months of good living can't fix. Do you want me to put her back on?" Nick asked. It seemed as if Banzai really cared for Shenzi. Little did he know, Banzai was thinking the same thing about Nick.

"No... no, not yet. Listen, she is very... very, extremely delicate. She started out strong enough... but she was only thirteen years old! I don't know if she told you that, but she was way, way too young for what she had to go through. And when you get shattered every day of your life... you stop having walls, because at that point, they don't work. Please, please treat her carefully," the hyena on the other line begged.

"I know that... I've experienced the collar before. Though only for a week, I had a master similar to hers. I can promise you, we're going to do everything in our power to strengthen her resolve, to fix what's not quite yet lost," the fox responded.

His words brought great relief to Banzai, as he heard a sigh of relief from the other line. "You're... you're helping her... thank you. When may I... well, see her?" It was definitely a relief that the two hyenas would no longer have to sneak around under the nose of that bastard lion.

"Like I said, we're police officers, and she's going to be helping us… we have a shift in... a little under forty minutes. So, anytime twelve or so hours from now," Nick explained.

"She's going to be… helping you? With police work?" Banzai asked, concern evident in his tone.

"Yes, she's going to be a consultant… not an actual officer. She's not going to be in any danger," Nick assured the distraught hyena. _He really does care for her,_ he sighed to himself. At least she had _one_ real friend over the ten years she spent in hell.

"Oh… all right, then. I... won't be bothering you," Banzai said, as he set down the phone and exhaled in relief. Shenzi seemed to be in good paws.

Judy looked at Nick as he placed his phone back in his pocket. "So... what was that about?" she asked.

"He was just concerned for her safety," Nick answered. "I just reassured him that we're good people and we'll take good care of her."

"Good. Because we will. Now then... what should we do while we wait?" She asked.

"I could go for some food…" Nick trailed off.

"All right then," Judy sighed. "Okay Spots, would you like something to eat?"

"Yes, Nice Carrots. If you say I can," Shenzi said. No one had offered her food in a long time.

"You're more than welcome to ask us for food at any point in time... or you could make it yourself if you wanted," Nick shrugged. He did seem to remember her being a waitress... though there were no cooks in the kitchen, so she must've been making their food herself.

"I can't make food. It was all pre-prepared," she frowned. "Where's your trash can?"

"Uh... over there," Nick said, pointing towards a large silver bin near the kitchen counter. The food was already prepared? _Wow... how was that place not in violation of some health code?_ Nick wondered.

"Thank you," she said, nodding. She stood from the admittedly comfortable spot on the couch, walked up to the trash can, and began to sift through it.

"Uh... what are you doing?" Nick asked. She was picking things out from the trash can, scrutinizing them, then tossing them aside. It looked like she was looking for food… like a racoon.

"Getting something to eat," she replied, turning her head slightly towards the Nice Fox. She hoped he would be glad she wasn't taking from the good stuff.

Nick slapped a paw to his forehead and said, "Carrots... can you make her a sandwich or something? I'm going to try and explain to her that she doesn't need to eat out of the garbage." Judy grumbled something, but nodded and walked towards the kitchen to make the hyena a sandwich.

"Shenzi... please don't do that," he said, walking over to her, and placing a paw on her back, as he wasn't quite tall enough to put a paw on her shoulder.

"Oh... why not?" Shenzi asked, worry rising in her chest. Had she made a mistake? Was the Nice Fox angry at her? She was just doing what she had always done under the collar.

"Look, Spots, _we_ don't eat out of the garbage, which means _you_ don't eat out of the garbage. We have real food here, food that we want you to eat instead of sifting through trash," Nick explained as he eyed Judy angrily slapping together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Shenzi saw the frustration pass over Nick's features, she panicked, thinking he was angry, causing a wave of fear to sweep through her. "I'm sorry Nice Fox! I... I won't mess up again!" she begged, quickly getting down onto her knees. It was an automatic response, as her former master often made her do it. But in this case, it only brought her down to eye level with the fox.

 _Shit,_ he thought to himself. "Spots... don't do that. You didn't mess up, you just weren't clear on what we were talking about," he said as soothingly as possibly, rubbing the top of her head, now that it was on level with him. "Just... have a sandwich. And if you want food in the future, Judy and I will be more than willing to make you something... something that doesn't involve dumpster diving." Judy handed him the sandwich, which he offered to her.

Shenzi had flinched when the Nice Fox had touched her, but she had long learned that you couldn't resist your contractors. But he had rubbed her head comfortingly... she'd never had something like that done to her in years. She liked it. "Thanks, Nice Fox," she said, smiling weakly as she took the sandwich. She marveled at how perfect it looked, how... untainted it was.

"Uh... can you make me a sandwich too, while you're over there, Carrots?" Nick smiled innocently, but didn't take more than a glance at Judy. He was more concerned with watching Shenzi and making sure she didn't immediately turn to the trash can the moment he walked away.

"Thanks for the sandwich, Nice Carrots... but I'll make my own, you shouldn't have to make me anything!" she added quickly, holding her sandwich carefully. She didn't want to drop it and make Nice Carrots make her a new one.

"We just want to make sure you know you can ask us for anything," Nick said. He let out a sigh and walked over to the kitchen to see Judy crossing her arms at him. He rolled his eyes and began to make his own sandwich.

"That's right, make your own damn sandwich," Judy smirked at his eye roll. "I'm not a maid, though it seems you forget that sometimes... or anytime you leave your clothes on the floor."

"My clothes?" Nick asked, placing a paw against his chest. "What about your clothes? You're just as bad... if not worse than me! And you leave garbage lying out and about, at least I don't do that." Though he sounded offended, he made his sandwich with a huge smirk on his face.

"Oh, so we're both bad at it. Maybe we can just have Shenzi do it from now on," Judy said, climbing up onto the counter, letting her legs hang over the edge.

"I think it's something that we should work on... instead of forcing it on someone else," Nick said, taking a seat on the couch, Shenzi next to him. "Besides, it really doesn't bother me much at all. So, we're both slobs, we belong together."

"We'll work on it all right," Judy replied, as she stared at the mess that was their apartment. Although the apartment was a mess, it was home. And she doubted either of them would begin to pick up good cleaning habits.

Nick let out a loud yawn, "Or not... who knows. How much time we got left, Carrots?"

"Thirty minutes."

"Let's get an early start today, what'd ya say, Carrots? I think it might be beneficial to get her acclimated before absolutely everyone arrives... and we might benefit from getting to Bogo before he's had to deal with the rest of the officers. Maybe he won't be as pissed," Nick suggested.

"Right," Judy agreed, and bounced to the door in a few bounds. "Come on, Spots." Although they had arrived in their uniforms, they had taken off their belts, though Judy had also taken off her chest plate.

"Don't forget your chest plate and belt," Nick snickered as he strapped his belt to his waist. She had almost walked out without it. He didn't wear a chest plate, but he did put a rather nice black tie on. One not stained with blood.

Judy halted, as she had been halfway out the door, and walked back into the apartment to grab her equipment. Nick helped her don the chest plate, as it was a bit tricky to do alone, and she strapped her own belt around her waist.

"Come on, I'm driving," Judy grinned as she stepped out of the apartment, Shenzi following close behind. Nick only rolled her eyes and shut the door behind him, locking it. Then they took off towards the precinct to start their first shift with Shenzi.

XXX

Traffic was light, allowing them to reach the precinct with twenty minutes to spare. The trio exited the car, though Shenzi hesitated in doing so, and entered the large building. The hyena's breathing noticeably increased in the strange environment as she looked around with fearful, wide eyes.

They spotted Clawhauser behind his desk, just setting up for the day. Nick wondered briefly if introducing Shenzi was turning out to be a bad idea... maybe they should have let her acclimate to them first, raise her confidence level, then introduce her into the workforce instead of immediately thrusting her into her new job. But it was too late as Judy led them towards Clawhauser's desk. "Hey Clawhauser!" Judy said cheerily, jumping onto the desk.

Nick, who was just tall enough to do so, placed his elbow on the desk and leaned on it. Shenzi wasn't even sure what to do... so she settled for just standing a bit behind Nick, trying not to look suspicious. "Hey Judy, Nick... hyena I don't know? Who are you?" the energetic cheetah asked.

Shenzi took a shaky step back, what was she supposed to do? Nice Carrots nodded at her, gesturing at the cheetah. "Uh... hi," she said quietly. She couldn't think of anything better to say, as it was difficult to think over the sound of her rapidly beating heart.

"Aw, she's shy!" Clawhauser said with a big smile. "What's your name?" Nick rolled his eyes. Only Clawhauser would be more concerned with learning about the hyena rather than why she was here. Or the fact that he clearly hadn't noticed the collar yet.

"It's... it's Shenzi..." she said, swallowing hard.

"Ooh, that's a nice name. Mine's Benjamin Clawhauser," he grinned, pointing towards the name on the desk. He paused as he thought for a moment. "Uh... Shenzi, why are you here?"

"I'm... here with her... and him..." she said, pointing at Nick and Judy.

"She's going to be helping us Clawhauser," Judy explained, "That's all that you need to know."

"Ooh, that sounds interesting," Clawhauser said. He hummed to himself as Nick and Judy shared a look. He still hadn't noticed the collar.

"Well... let's go," Judy said, moving past the desk. They needed to speak to Bogo, but Clawhauser didn't need to know that. It would be better if Clawhauser didn't notice the collar anyways.

"Right..." Nick trailed off in agreement before taking Shenzi's paw and walking towards Bogo's office. The sooner they got to the buffalo the better.

Several minutes went by where Clawhauser was alone, chomping down donuts. He raised an eyebrow and mumbled to himself, spraying crumbs everywhere, "Was that hyena wearing a collar?" He thought for a few minutes before he shrugged to himself, it meant nothing to him, so he ignored it.

Judy knocked on the door, there were still a few minutes before he would call roll, they had to do it now. "What?" came the gruff response on the other side of the door.

"Chief Bogo?" Judy asked, opening the door, and going inside.

"What?" Bogo reiterated, looking up from his desk to glare at the three intruding animals. He was wearing a small pair of spectacles on the bridge of his nose and carried a pen in his dominant hoof. Papers were strewn across his desk, he was clearly busy.

"Chief? There's an important question Nick and I would like to ask you," she said carefully. She noticed how busy the buffalo seemed, but this was important. And it needed to be done now.

Bogo raised an eyebrow when he saw the odd hyena standing behind Nick and Judy. "Something pertaining to that hyena, I suppose," the chief muttered as he took his glasses off and placed his pen down so he could properly concentrate on what one of the best duos on the force had to say. They wouldn't have barged in if it wasn't important.

"Chief... this hyena is our new helper," Judy said, gesturing towards Shenzi. Shenzi couldn't help but stare at the police chief, her legs shaking. He was huge.

Bogo's eyebrow skyrocketed and he said, "And what makes you say that, Hopps?" His eyes narrowed when he laid eyes on the collar around her neck. No one at the ZPD used collared criminals for help.

"Her name is Shenzi. And before you say anything, yes, she is wearing a collar. But all the appropriate restrictions have been implemented," she said quickly.

"I see. And what made you two decide to pick her up? And, furthermore, why you think she will be an asset to our work?" Bogo asked, rising from his chair, towering over all three of the mammals. Shenzi gulped and took a step backwards, doing her best to remain standing despite her shaking legs.

"She's got an IQ of 189," Judy explained. "We're hoping she could be of some use investigating crime scenes."

Bogo made a small grunt, "High IQ, like Sherlock Holmes. Do you mind if I talk to her for a bit... alone?" Although he trusted his two best officers, he needed to make sure that the hyena wasn't potentially dangerous. And, of course, to make sure they had correctly evaluated her ability to help them.

Judy raised her eyebrow. She hadn't expected Nick's paranoia to be justified. "Of course, sir," she replied quietly. But, on the inside, her mind ran rampant with different possibilities, _oh... how will fragile Shenzi manage with rough Bogo?_

She and Nick made their way out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Bogo took a deep breath and started immediately with, "State your name and age."

Shenzi's legs were shaking something terrible as she stared up at the chief. "S-S-Shenzi... I-I-I'm twenty… three," she managed, her voice squeaking. Her heart beat rapidly out of control, it felt like she was going to have a heart attack. Why did Nice Fox and Nice Carrots leave her alone?!

Bogo raised an eyebrow at her demeanor, but didn't dote on it. "And your criminal history, please," he asked.

"I... I guess I stole a wallet ten years ago... and a lion was killed in the same building... as... as me," she stuttered.

"You guess, huh," Bogo grumbled. He walked around the desk as to tower directly above her. "How many years do you have left on your collar?"

"Twenty-five more," she said, her shivering getting worse as she stared up at the intimidating chief of police.

He nodded his head in understanding. "And you said you had an IQ of 189, huh?" he asked, circling her slightly.

"Y-yes sir, I... I do," she swallowed, staring up at the fearsome beast. The anxiety was getting to her, black spots descending on her vision. She barely noticed as she did her best to remain conscious.

"You know that I'm going to have to test you on that, correct?" he sighed. The hyena licked her lips and nodded, eyes wide. She had passed Nice Fox's test… but he had said the chief's test would be more difficult. Bogo walked back over to his desk, sitting down in his chair. "Let's begin."

XXX

Judy had placed her ear up against the door the moment Nick shut it behind them. They may have had to leave Shenzi alone with the chief, but that didn't mean they couldn't be ready to interfere if things started to go south. "He's going to test her... gosh, I can hear her legs shaking from here," she muttered. "Nick? You ever heard of an..." Judy pressed her ear against the door harder, "Angle vector?"

"Vaguely," Nick muttered. "It has something to do with trajectory."

"Well, she's answering questions about it. Gosh, I haven't heard of most of this stuff. I never liked math," she said, clearly impressed.

"Neither have I," Nick mumbled. "Of course, that's not something you learn on the streets, though."

"Hush for a moment," Judy said, straining to hear. "She's mumbling something now... about not getting past the eighth grade."

Nick placed his head against the door, as his hearing wasn't quite as good as hers. "Well that makes sense, she was collared at 13, that's about 8th grade," he noted.

"Wow... that sort of puts it into perspective, doesn't it?" Judy sighed. "Imagine being forced to work for a psycho before you even got into high school..."

"It's awful, I assume," Nick mumbled. Judy didn't need to know that he had been a high school dropout. But Shenzi had never even had the chance.

"Gee... I wonder if she had even hit puberty yet. I mean… probably, but sometimes it happens later. Anyways, if we allow her to pick her life back up from where she left off... oh gosh, she was hardly a teenager. How much damage does torture every day do to such a young mammal?" Judy pondered aloud with a deep sigh.

"I won't lie, Carrots... it does a lot. The damage might be irreparable. We may end up having to keep taking care of her long after her collar is off. We've basically adopted her," Nick explained. Shenzi not only had missed out on a lot of milestones, but instead of skipping passed them, she seemed to have been barred. Her mind was still that of a child… even if that child was a genius.

Judy looked downcast for a moment, so he tried to lighten the mood, "I didn't think old, grumpy Bogo was that smart. How does he know if she's getting the correct answers?"

"Oh... I don't know, maybe he has a sheet in front of him. Or maybe he has a hidden genius side," Judy suggested, eager to take the change in conversation. Nick could be right... What if they couldn't fix her? She shook her head, she didn't want to think about that.

"Maybe, or maybe he's just looking up all the answers online," he chuckled.

"Oh, who knows with the chief, I mean sometimes he's just a-"

"Hopps! Wilde!" the chief yelled as he opened the door, making Judy jump into the air with surprise. "Come inside."

Nick gulped slowly as they stepped into the room, Shenzi practically running outside. He shut the door behind him as Bogo let out a sigh. "Yes sir?" Nick asked. In the brief second Shenzi had passed him by, he saw the tears dripping from her eyes.

"Your new... assistant... passed with flying collars. She knew everything on here, and a little bit more," he said, gesturing towards his computer. "However... are you sure she's mentally able to help you two in the field?"

"What do you mean?" Nick asked carefully. This wasn't the run-down diner he and Judy had visited just a few days ago. This was the ZPD, and Bogo expected the best of the best. He could deny them Shenzi's help, forcing her to be naught but a maid.

"First off, do you smell that?" Bogo asked.

Judy took a sniff, and crinkled her nose, "It smells like someone took a-"

"She did. She also went to go fetch paper towels, after panicking and apologizing with tears flowing from her eyes. I took the liberty of looking up her prison records, and it says here that," Bogo looked down at his phone, "She has been diagnosed with multiple mental disorders, some of which are what they believe drove her to kill her last contractor. Don't ask me why she was given to you and not a hospital."

Nick was silent, unsure of what to say. Was this their fault? Perhaps they should have just let her go to a mental hospital instead of forcing her into this. At the very least... he should've insisted that he stay in the room with her. He may have just fucked up big time...

"Well sir... we believe that if she isn't mentally capable now, she soon will be. And with her intelligence, we hope to solve cases faster, and as such, reduce our already crushing workload," Judy said, clearing her throat.

"How did you come by her?" Bogo asked, after a moment of thought.

Nick and Judy shared a look. He let out a sigh and shrugged, "Happy accident?"

"Really?" was the chief's monotone response. Clearly, he didn't believe the fox.

"Uh... yeah, sure. Why not?" Nick chuckled slowly. As long as Bogo didn't know the truth, it would be fine.

"You know, I asked her about it," he growled, giving them both firm looks. _He knows,_ Judy's eyes widened with that realization.

"R-really?" Nick stuttered. He knew that Bogo would be pissed... and he had a right to be such. They could lose their badges, they could be sent to jail!

"But before I say anything on that matter... tell me, why did you do it? Let's hope the reason isn't something... selfish," he said, tone still firm as he rose up to his full height.

Nick ground his teeth together and looked visibly offended. How _dare_ he assume that they had taken Shenzi on as a contract for selfish reasons. In his anger, he couldn't help bursting out, "Selfish? Why would you think that? She's damaged and we're trying to help her. In fact, we're the _only_ ones trying to help her! Do you think they'd really help her at a mental hospital? No, they fucking wouldn't, because of the damn collar!"

Bogo appeared unfazed, "So, you want me to believe you killed a lion to help a collared hyena?" Nick took a deep breath, bringing his anger back under his control, before he nodded slowly in confirmation.

Bogo frowned. "Don't test me, Wilde. I could have the two of you out of here and in a prison before you had time to blink! The only reason I'm not is because you two are my best... and some of my most moral officers. So, stop pussyfooting around, Wilde, and give me the truth. All of it."

"I'll tell you right now, chief, this was my idea. Officer Hopps was just following my orders," Nick growled before he launched into the whole tale. He told the truth, mostly, only leaving out how Judy had been the one to put the lion down, he took the blame for it. At least Judy could keep Shenzi... and when he was given ten years with the collar, she could take him too.

Bogo sat and contemplated in silence once Nick had finished. Judy swallowed nervously, was Bogo going to bring the hammer down on Nick? He had a confession... she also couldn't help but notice how he downplayed her part in all of this. "Very well. You two are excused," the chief of police sighed.

"Uh... excuse me?" Nick asked, more than a bit confused. He had thought he was being arrested… or at the very least, fired.

"This is off the record... it sounds as if you had a viable excuse to kill that lion. But only... off the record," Bogo said, turning around to face the window.

"T-t-thank you chief. It means more to me and officer Hopps than you can possibly imagine. But... sir? If we are still off the record, may I say something?" Nick asked tentatively. Bogo shouldn't have agreed with his decision… technically dismissing his confession was a cover-up, which made the entire murder even worse. But… if Bogo was willing to listen, and consider his words carefully… then maybe he should speak his mind.

Bogo raised his eyebrow, but didn't turn around. "Go ahead."

"I think that... it is a sorry thing when murdering one mammal to save another is the 'right' thing to do. I believe that there is a difference between 'justice' and 'duty.' The public screams at us to carry out 'justice' as if it was our duty... but I don't think it is. Our 'duty' is to protect and serve society, 'justice' has nothing to do with it. Especially when those who _deserve_ justice, and _need_ protecting the most... aren't considered a part of society… and those who _deserve_ to have justice enacted against them are… and they yell the loudest. Is it fair to force us, as police officers, to decide between what we know is right and what we are expected to do? How is it fair to force us to decide between justice... and duty?" Nick asked, an incredibly serious expression gracing his features.

Bogo sighed. "You know... I never have the collar system much thought," he said, after a moment's hesitation.

"Well you've never been a part of it. And you know what? Maybe the system _does_ work. I won't lie, what I went through was hell. And I only got a _taste_ of what dear Shenzi experienced, so it could've been much worse. And look what it did for me? I'm a functioning member of society, I've got a job, and _*cough*_ someone I care about... but I still can't look at these collars and think that they're the right thing to do," Nick sighed. "Have you heard of the ethical theory of Utilitarianism?"

"I can't say I have," the chief replied.

"Basically, it states that all actions should be taken to either 1: increase the total pleasure of society, called 'utility' and or 2: decrease the pain of society. If you've heard of the trolley dilemma, this is what justifies you killing the one person instead of the five people, because saving five people balances out killing the one person. Society has justified collaring these criminals because it is supposed to increase utility... but I don't think it does. And I believe Shenzi is the perfect example of why this reasoning is wrong," Nick crossed his arms.

"I think... criminals are products of their environment. Instead of society forcing these criminals into collars and electrocuting them, perhaps they should take a good hard look at themselves and understand that _they_ created these 'monsters' and _they_ should be the ones to change, not just the criminal... not to say the criminal is innocent either, but he or she definitely doesn't deserve this fate."

"And why do you think the collars are bad? You do realize that without it there would be hundreds and hundreds of criminals rotting in prisons right now. Where they would only learn how to be a better criminal. With the collars, they work, they help society, and they keep busy. They learn how they should act, not how to commit crimes easier," Bogo replied, with hint of a smile on his face. Judy whistled. It looked like the chief was playing devil's advocate. Though she hadn't expected Nick to continue to argue so passionately.

Nick's ears flattened against his head as he thought carefully. "Aren't there already hundreds of criminals rotting in prison? Not everyone takes the collar deal... and it doesn't matter if they are or aren't helping society. It doesn't solve the problem, _why_ they became criminals in the first place. They thing is that, in almost every circumstance, criminals _know_ how they are _supposed_ to act, just they are forced to act differently because of their circumstances. I know that... perhaps what I'm saying is idealistic and unrealistic, but slapping these collars onto criminals does no more than locking them up does. If we are still operating under Utilitarianism... then you cannot consider the collars the correct option," he sighed.

"Without the collars, there would be near thousands in prison. Those who take the collar deal keep busy, and are performing a public service in most cases. If done right, they are released as much better citizens. I do believe you yourself are an example of that, officer Wilde," Bogo fired back.

Nick let out a sigh, he probably wasn't going to be able to convince the chief otherwise... and he didn't think that he could've in the first place. But... he was so close, maybe... maybe he could change the chief's mind _. What if I_ _ **do**_ _change the chief's mind? What comes of it... or is this just a pointless endeavor?_ he wondered to himself.

"Then let's ignore the morality of the collars in the first place. You seem to believe that the collars fix people, but I disagree. I think that it depends solely on the contractors. And the most efficient contractors are the most brutal, may I remind you that I went through what Shenzi went through, if only for a week. I'm still standing here a changed man because I can still _feel_ the shocks echoing through my bones. A weaker-willed contractor won't have that reaction from a hardened criminal, it's not like the toughest criminals are given to the toughest contractors... it's all random. I know _lots_ of animals who went through the collar experience, though not nearly as bad as what I had, and not even close to what Shenzi went through! And do you know where they are right now? One of them is a bootlegger, one of them is still stealing things, hasn't been caught since his collar experience, and another has killed animals... be it that I haven't had contact with them for some time, but the system didn't fix them," Nick explained.

He hesitated, but drove the final nail in the coffin, "And maybe I shouldn't be an example of the success of the collars. Need I remind you that I committed a murder? And I'm not being penalized for it. Maybe it was justified, maybe it was a breach of duty... the fact remains that I killed someone. Someone who might've had loved ones. Loved ones that I would say to their faces that their friend, or family member, _deserved_ to die. What about me, chief?"

Bogo smiled a little bit, finally turning around. "Don't worry Wilde, I'm well aware of how the collar system works, or at least how it functions. I know criminals are handed out at near random. And now, thanks to you, I know more about its results." He sat back in his chair.

"The system had been in place for nearly fifteen years. The public is convinced it works, and nearly every higher up and rich animal keeps their houses and factories cheaply stocked with collared labor. Removing or reforming it would be... a challenge," he paused before continuing with, "Can you tell me what exactly that hyena had to go through?" He asked.

Nick breathed deeply... did he manage get to the chief? "I know reforming it would be a challenge, and I hate to say I don't have a better solution... chief, she was beaten, abused... she was forced to eat out of the garbage! She even tried that with us, even when we said that we would feed her. We believe that he shocked her just because he could, or even for the slightest of errors... maybe even to entertain guests. I think he implied that. I also have reason to believe that... he may have... r-r-raped her," he stuttered at the end, not even sure if it was true. He had seen the scars on her waist, but he was hesitant to tell Bogo. He wasn't sure if Shenzi would appreciate it... but it was too late. What's done is done.

"Hmm... I suppose constant abuse would have its effects... she was extremely scared when I was asking questions, you know. When she didn't know the answer to a question right away, she wet herself. You need to take extreme care of her, she seems extremely... fragile," the buffalo said. If he was disturbed by what Nick had told him, he didn't show it.

Nick let out a sigh, "I'm well aware of that, sir. We are going to take good care of her, hopefully we'll be able to help her recover."

"Very well... you two are dismissed," Bogo said, turning around once again.

Nick and Judy shared a look, but backed out of Bogo's office without another word. The moment the door closed behind them, Nick let out a loud sigh of relief. "I think that went better than I thought it would," he mumbled.

"I guess so," Judy shrugged. She didn't think Nick would get into an argument with Bogo over this… or rather, she didn't expect Bogo to goad Nick on.

"Nice Fox? Nice Carrots?" Shenzi asked, appearing next to the door, holding paper towels against her skirt.

Nick rubbed his temples slightly as a sudden headache hit him. Maybe he had argued a bit too hard with Bogo. But he responded, "Hey, Spots. What happened in there? Did ya pass?"

"I... I don't know Nice Fox. I don't think it went well," she said, swallowing nervously.

Nick raised an eyebrow, "Really? The chief told us he was impressed... he's never impressed. Isn't that right, Carrots?"

"Yeah, you did really well Shenzi," Judy nodded in agreement. Shenzi's sad frown didn't change, however.

"Oh... I'm glad I did well enough for you," she said softly. It still felt like she had failed them in there when she had wet herself.

Nick snorted, "Who cares about us? You did well enough for Bogo, now _that's_ an achievement! In fact, I doubt there's another person harder to impress than him. Ya really did good, Spots." He just couldn't help himself, Shenzi really needed a bit of praise.

Shenzi frowned, still looking sad. "Thank you," she managed, "That's good, right?"

"Spots, that's excellent! Look, we need to get to roll call, right Carrots?" Nick said, looking down at his partner. They just needed to keep moving. Shenzi obviously wasn't going to accept that she did an amazing job.

"Yeah. You coming, Spots?" Judy asked, small smile gracing her lips. Shenzi only nodded, not trusting her voice. She kept the paper towels held at the wet spot on her skirt as she followed them through the hallway.

Nick and Judy took their regular seats in the Bullpen, Shenzi standing directly behind them, no matter how much they urged her to take the seat next to them. The assignments were handed out hardly a minute after Bogo entered the room.

Judy looked through the file. Today it was a simple robbery, the theft of jewelry from a store. "Why do thieves always steal jewelry? It's pretty difficult to sell, you know," Nick growled as he glanced at the case file. He noticed Shenzi staring at the folder intently, so he offered it to her.

"Well it seems simple enough," Judy sighed as Shenzi nearly dumped the entire file onto the floor. Thankfully, Nick managed to stop the file from falling in time. "Let's get to the crime scene, then."

XXX

 **Holy… yeah… this is the longest chapter I've ever written (even if I had help with this one). It's just shy of 12k words, so that's an achievement on its own. Once again, I would like to thank All Hail King Scar (from now on to be simply known as AHKS) for helping with the story. If you enjoy the** ** _Lion King,_** **you should check out his/her profile. Despite the length of the chapter, there isn't much to say about it. It might not even be the longest chapter in this story… anyways… stay tuned until next time to find out how their first investigation with Shenzi goes!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Half Empty:

Author's Note:

 **This story is a bit odd, don't you think? I mean… in the first chapter, Nick and Judy identified a problem and took action. In the second chapter, they were forced to defend the morality of that action. Now… now what? The only logical step would be to have them continue on as normal, constantly tested by others concerning their actions. But… this isn't most stories, there is no logical next step. So, we must turn everything on its head. And continue to be… Immoral. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

 _Sahara Square_

The jewelry store that had been robbed wasn't the typical, average, run-of-the-mill establishment. It housed several rare pieces, impossible to come by except through the doors of that store. "Come on Spots!" Judy called as she stepped out of the cruiser. "This will be your first case!"

"I'm sure she's thrilled," Nick muttered to himself. He cracked his neck and slipped on his shades, ready for business, as he followed Judy out of the car. Shenzi was hesitant, but stepped out of the car nonetheless, determined to do her best to help the Nice Fox.

"What do I have to do, Nice Fox?" Shenzi asked as they stepped inside the store. Nick immediately noted the security camera that sat above the door that was in a perfect position to see anyone entering the establishment.

"Just look around... tell me if you notice anything strange. Carrots is going to interview the people that were here during the crime, and I'm going to try and procure a chart detailing every piece of jewelry here... then you see if you can't figure out which pieces were stolen, all right?" Nick asked with a comforting smile.

"Uh huh," she said, nodding, as Judy left to go interview animals. There were several witnesses that had been in the store at the time of the robbery. Despite the camera that hung above the door, and the expensive pieces that called the store home, there didn't seem to be any cameras on the inside.

Nick sighed and approached the pig who seemed to be the manager of this establishment. "Hello, uh, sir. I would like a record of your inventory... it might be able to help us in our investigation by revealing what was stolen," he said in an authoritative voice.

The pig turned, wringing his hooves as he did. "Oh, thank goodness you cops are finally here!" he exclaimed. "An inventory? Of course." He turned around and picked up a bright pink slip of paper, with a top down numbered array of the store.

"Do you have... uh, pictures? That might speed up the process," Nick asked. This list was going to Shenzi, and unless she looked at all the numbers attached to the pieces, it would be awhile until they figured out which ones were missing... with the pictures, she might be able to notice it immediately.

"Of course, of course," he replied, handing a binder filled with pictures to Nick.

Nick nodded his thanks and walked over to Shenzi, who was staring at the broken glass. He handed her both papers of the numbers and the pictures. "Hey, do you think you'd be able to figure out which pieces are missing? We'd be able to halt the sale of any of those pieces very quickly while we track our thief down," he asked kindly, with a smile.

Shenzi looked down at the pictures, then around at the broken glass and scattered jewelry. The thief had broken several of the display cases, but was clearly only after certain pieces, as there were hundreds of dollars' worth of rings and necklaces that were strewn across the floor along with the broken glass of the cases.

She flipped through the binder quickly, only taking a few seconds on each picture. Once she was done, she looked back at the ground and the displays. "These five here," she said quietly, handing the binder back to Nick, pointing at the ones she meant.

Nick cracked a smile and said, "Thank you, Spots." He pulled his radio from his shoulder and said, "Hey, it's officer Wilde, can you put a halt on all trades of..." he went on to list the names of the pieces stolen that Shenzi had given him. Meanwhile, Judy walked up to the two of them.

"Nobody here really has jack squat. We just know it's probably a panther or a jaguar," she said, rolling her eyes. The witnesses had given conflicting accounts of the thief. Some said panther, some said jaguar. Some said he was unarmed, some said that he was a she.

"There's no such thing as a panther," Nick mumbled. "Well Spots has ID-'d the stolen jewelry, he/she didn't take much, but it is worth a couple thousand dollars in total. If anyone tries to sell any of it, we'll know about it."

"That's good," Judy replied. At least they had that.

"Why isn't it a panther, Nice fox?" Shenzi asked hesitantly. "Aren't panthers just black jaguars?"

Nick let out a sigh as he explained, "Panther is a misnomer. Black jaguars are just regular jaguars with melanism. Just like how you can find jaguars or other animals with albinism. In any case, I'd say we should see if that camera above the door caught anything."

"Right, I'll just go talk to the manager," Judy said, turning on her heels and walking towards the manager of the store. Nick and Shenzi stood by as they waited for her to get the manager to unlock the back room so they could view the tapes.

As Judy was led into the back room, Nick went back to work investigating the scene. He crouched low and started looking over the glass riddled floor, careful not to cut himself. Noticing Shenzi's inquisitive stare, he said, "Try looking around for blood or fur, something that we could use to get a DNA match on him."

Shenzi nodded slowly and followed his lead, crouching down to the ground. The duo swept through the crime scene quickly, only taking ten minutes to cover the glass-riddled floor. With a grunt, Nick stood and growled, "Well, that netted us nothing."

"W-what does that mean, Nice Fox?" Shenzi asked slowly, noting his anger. _Have I made a mistake? Was I supposed to find something that he couldn't?_ she asked herself, but didn't have time to further berate herself as Nick spoke up.

"It means that we're probably dealing with a professional. No claw marks, fur, or blood so he was likely carrying a blunt weapon of some kind, or maybe a gun, though if he was, he didn't fire it," he explained. "Let's check the door."

He walked over to the door with her following close behind, glancing at the other mammals in the room with a scared expression on her face. They were all prey types, but she couldn't even feel safe from them. "What are we checking… for?" she asked softly as she watched Nick pull a few things from his belt.

The ZPD had a very small CSI unit that was usually very busy. Instead of hiring more CSI's, the newer recruits were trained how to deal with minor things that a CSI would do, that way the unit could be deployed for emergencies. Nick knew how to dust for prints and a few other minor things, thought Judy had not received that training during her time at the academy.

Nick sighed, nothing. Or rather, too much. This door handle had to have been touched dozens of times each day, and although there were definitely prints on the handle… he couldn't pinpoint any to be jaguar. "Well that was a bust," he sighed. Shenzi only gave him a confused look before he continued, "Let's go check on Carrots."

"How're the cameras looking, Carrots?" Nick asked as he made it into the back of the store where Judy was sitting at a desk, staring at a small TV screen. Shenzi once again following behind him.

"They picked up something, all right. And it was a panther, like I said. All black," she replied, looking at the TV. "And there!" She pointed at one of the many small screens, a white van speeding away. Apparently, the store had more than one camera on the outside. The one above the door was just a deterrent.

"What kind of panther? Jaguar, leopard, cougar? Remember, panthers don't exist," Nick sighed.

"Jaguar," Judy returned his sigh with a roll of her eyes. "Now pay attention, this is important."

Nick and Shenzi leaned in closer to one of the small TVs so they could better see the small, blurry picture. "Okay… here," Judy paused the feed. "We've got a plate. Can you read it?"

"Uh... no, not really, it's a bit blurry. Can you make it clearer?" Nick asked, Shenzi nodding beside him.

"I can try," Judy zoomed out a little bit, and clicked a few buttons, trying to focus, and sharpen the image. The picture didn't get much better, but it was enough for Nick to make an attempt at reading it.

"6L2KVG7, I think," Nick mumbled.

"Sweet. We've got him now," Judy grinned. Even Shenzi couldn't help but smile. Maybe it didn't seem like she had helped that much, but her contractor was happy… so she should be happy.

"Right," Nick agreed and pulled his radio off his shoulder again. "Hey, it's officer Wilde again. I'm putting an APB out on a white van driven by a black jaguar, license plate six-lima-two-kilo-victor-golf-seven, thanks."

"What's supposed to happen now?" Shenzi asked.

"Our job is finished... really. We just wait until we get a hit on that car, then we go after him," Nick shrugged as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Oh, come on Nick!" Judy grinned. "Are we really just going to wait around until someone spots the car? That seems a bit boring, don't you think?"

"We don't exactly have anything else to go on," Nick explained. "We should just wait until we get a hit on the van he's driving."

Judy sighed, "Well… I guess we've got a few hours, then. Should we head back to the precinct and start our reports?" Nick rolled his eyes in response but relented nevertheless.

"Where would he go if he wanted to sell them?" Shenzi asked quietly.

Nick's ear flicked as he detected Shenzi's voice, but not quite what she had said. He turned towards her and said, "What did you say?"

"W-where would he g-go if he wanted to… s-sell t-them?" she repeated, somehow even quieter, but Nick was paying attention this time.

He blinked a few times but said, "Probably a black market of some kind." Shenzi stared at him for a moment, unsure of what a black market was. Nick's eyes widened when he realized that she may have a point. "You might be onto something, Spots."

"I am?" Shenzi asked.

"She is?" Judy echoed.

Nick nodded. "This guy is obviously a professional, and every thief knows that you have to unload your wares as quickly as possible. And a black market would be the only place to sell these priceless pieces and retain discretion from the police," he explained.

"That makes sense," Judy sighed, "But that doesn't help us much, does it?"

"Well… not necessarily. I've got good news and bad news," Nick smirked. "Which do you wanna hear first?"

"Good news," Judy responded immediately.

"B-bad news," Shenzi was a bit slower to the punch, but she quickly changed her mind, "I mean… good news."

"Good news is that I know where the black market in Sahara Square is," Nick explained. Judy's eyes widened, before they quickly narrowed. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but Nick was faster, "I'll tell ya later, Carrots. Bad news is that I'm not sure how many contacts are going to want to talk to me, let alone see me."

"We can still try, can't we?" Judy asked. Although she was worried how Nick knew of a black market, she was intrigued by the possibilities now presented to them. Terrible things were said to happen at those places… she could imagine shutting them down now.

"Yeah... but I can't guarantee results. At the very least we can look for the van," Nick shrugged. "They won't let us in as cops, though."

"What do you have in mind?" Judy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well… for one thing, I suggest we ditch the uniforms," Nick chuckled.

Judy only rolled her eyes at the obviousness of his suggestion. "All right. We'll have to go back to our apartment, though," Judy said.

"Yeah, I thought as much," Nick sighed. "Hopefully they won't notice the hero bunny cop and her dumb fox," Nick chuckled after a moment's pause.

"Heh, heh, yeah, dumb fox," Judy returned the chuckle wholeheartedly.

"I thought you were the Nice Fox?" Shenzi asked, suddenly confused. If he wasn't a Nice Fox… then what was he? What if he was actually a Mean Fox?

"A little self-awareness isn't a bad thing, as long as you know it's a joke," Nick smiled at her. The trio left the jewelry store, assuring the manager that his wares would be returned and the thief would be brought to justice.

They made it to the cruiser and climbed in, Nick at the wheel, and headed towards their apartment. "You know, I was being serious. People are going to recognize me in market, I've been there before, I know people there… but we can't have them recognizing you."

"What if just you and Shenzi went?" Judy suggested. She didn't really want to go into the market anyways, not if it was as bad as the rumors said.

"Well... it's kind of a big place. She so needs to stay with us, and I'll need backup," Nick said. "We just need to find a way to disguise that adorable face of yours."

"Adorable?!" Judy exclaimed. "You dumb fox." A slight red tinge had risen to her face, as it always did whenever Nick paid her a compliment like that. Normally, she couldn't stand anyone calling her cute or adorable… it was degrading and belittled her. But Nick was different.

"Hey, it's a compliment!" Nick protested. "But still... maybe sunglasses or a veil of some sort... something that could cover your vivid purple eyes, or your mouth and nose."

"A veil?" Judy asked skeptically, "What is this, the Middle East?"

"… What about the veils some women wear for funerals? I'm not suggesting you go out and get a niqab or a hijab or anything like that, just a simple, black veil could do the trick," Nick said.

"Eh, screw it, I'll take the veil," Judy relented, as the car stopped at a stoplight. "But wouldn't a hijab work better, considering animals actually... wear them in everyday life? I mean, we aren't attending a funeral."

"Maybe... but to you _know_ where to get a hijab this time of day? Without drawing suspicion? You can make a veil out of anything and no one will question it twice. Everyone and their mother will know if you just wrapped a scarf around your head," Nick said. "And sure, maybe people will give you odd looks with the veil, but then again, this IS a black market. There are lots of people who just want to hide their face."

"As a matter of fact, Nick, I do know where to get one. The full outfit. Whatever it takes to look a little more natural, I don't want to get caught in the middle of a shit ton of crooks," she explained as the light turned green and he hit the accelerator.

"... You're actually going to get a burqa? Or just the hijab? Ah, it probably doesn't matter... what are you going to tell the cashier? 'Hi, I'm converting?' or maybe 'This is for a police investigation.' Because those don't sound suspicious at all," Nick chuckled. He paused and said, "But you can do whatever you want."

"Well, you're the former crook, Nick. What do you think will work best?" she asked. She could see his point, but she didn't think much of his concern. She would be fine.

"Well if you get a niqab, she needs one too," he sighed, pointing towards Shenzi without taking his eyes off the road.

"Okay, it's settled. A niqab for Shenzi and I," Judy said, as Nick pulled up to their shared apartment.

"Do you wanna practice an accent too, or is that too far?" Nick chuckled. The trio stepped out of the car and headed towards the apartment.

"I won't be talking, that's up to you," she smirked. "After all, this is _your_ contact, not mine."

"Right," he sighed. "But, then again, I guess this just means we're less likely to make a mistake. What do you think I should tell them when they ask about you and her?"

"That's also your job," Judy snickered. "But uh... er... maybe you... traded… or bought us?" she tried, scratching her head.

"Yeah, that'll probably work," Nick sighed. "The contact I think most likely knows something about the jewelry knows me as Nick the thief, and he hasn't seen me in years. He's the only contact I think will want to see me, as I haven't actually stolen from him or ripped him off. So, to say I upgraded from thief and conman to… slave owner might not be too much of a stretch."

"Oh yeah. I guess we'll be your... er... slaves. Yeah, I guess that works," Judy relented. "What could go wrong?"

"Too much, Carrots... too much," Nick mumbled.

"Come in Nick, cheer up! Nothing could go wrong!" Judy said cheerily, trying to keep him in high spirits. In truth, she wasn't delusional, she knew the risk was high. Even if they knew that Nick had become a cop, he could think of a way to brush suspicion off him… but not if they found out who she was. Sometimes being famous… or at the very least, well-known, had its downsides.

"You've never been to a black market... have you? Shenzi?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow as they made it to their apartment.

"I'm trying to be optimistic," Judy grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"I haven't left the restaurant for ten years," Shenzi mumbled. "Except when the lion took me to these places... where there were a whole awful lot of mean animals... I didn't like them... they hurt me, and touched me. They were mean."

Nick paused before opening the door and rubbed his temples, why did it always seem to get worse with her? "Right then... then I should at least tell you what to expect. Imagine the sleaziest strip joint in the red-light district, double the number of hookers and patrons, and throw in every fucked-up drug dealer you can think of and you're about half-way to this black market. Trust me, you're gonna see some shit. Organ deals, slavery, I'd say if we're particularly unlucky, we may see some cannibalism... or, as they put it, 'unsanctioned consumption of mammal flesh,' " Nick said using air quotes.

"Yech… why haven't we busted them yet?" Judy asked.

"That place is a fortress," Nick mumbled. "Everyone has a weapon of some kind, you can only get in if you know someone, and once you're in, what happens in the black market stays in the black market. There's also the fact that its location is unknown to anyone who hasn't been there before, so it's not like the cops could find it."

"We'll get it eventually," she vowed. Places like that… shouldn't be allowed to exist.

"Well... I'll tell ya right now, Carrots, even when I tell ya where this place is, I doubt the ZPD is going get far. That's why I never said anything. I have no doubt that I'm not the only cop who knows where it is, some of these cops are fairly loose lipped, if you know what I mean, and could alert the market if the ZPD were to find out," Nick explained.

"I don't want to say: let's do nothing or we can't do anything... but it's not something that only you and I can take on," he sighed as they entered the apartment and shut the door behind them.

"Eventually," Judy sighed.

XXX

"Well that was fast," Nick said as he watched Judy and Shenzi exit the store. He was sitting in the passenger's seat as he had let Judy take the wheel to drive to this store she had told him about.

"Fast for you maybe. Their service is slooooow," Judy complained, stretching out the word 'slow.' "Now you drive, I'm getting changed."

Nick snorted, "Long lines at the niqab store? Go figure." He scooted over to the driver's seat and started the car again, Judy next to her changing clothes and Shenzi in the back doing the same.

"I have no idea how anyone wears this all day," Judy groaned, "It's hot." The store that Judy had mentioned was shockingly close to the large, seemingly normal office building where the black market was located.

"Well that's what religion does to you, makes ya do stupid things. Crusades, hijabs, no seafood, might as well end it all," Nick mumbled to himself as he pulled into the square. "And you could've taken the veil and been fine, so this is on you," he smirked as he stepped out of the car.

"Just make sure to watch your six, this place isn't exactly friendly," he suggested as he walked towards the building. Judy nodded, and she and Shenzi stood close behind Nick as they entered the building.

"Keep your eyes forward, don't look at anyone. They'll either try and sell you something or try and kill you. And do your best not to speak," Nick suggested as he walked over to one of the elevators. The trio stepped on and Nick nodded to a bellhop stationed at the elevator. The bellhop, who happened to be a raccoon, nodded in return, and hit the button for the eighth floor.

Judy swallowed softly as the elevator began to rise. Shenzi was shaking from fear next to her, and was whimpering. She didn't like how Nick described the market. "Stay calm, if any of us panic, this could end badly. I saw several white vans nearby, I think one of them had our license plate... so there's a good chance our thief is here," Nick explained as he stepped off the elevator. He gave the bellhop a hefty tip to remain silent about their discussions and walked down a long hallway.

A large door separated them from the next room. "Shenzi, you're going to have to keep an eye out. Do you remember what the stolen pieces looked like? We're arresting anyone who has those pieces. They're rare, one of a kind, so there aren't going to be multiple duplicates out there," Nick explained. She nodded slowly. He knocked on the door four times, and waited.

The door was opened by a female leopard, a collar displayed clearly around her neck. She stood back, a blank expression on her face as she allowed them to enter. In the middle of the room there was a desk, and behind it a wolf.

"Hey Tony," Nick waved as he stepped up to the desk. The leopardess walked behind the desk and stood behind the sitting wolf. She continued to stare at them with an empty expression.

"Password," the wolf muttered, not bothering to even look up at the fox. He was looking at a magazine, hardly caring he had been interrupted.

"Oh… uh…" Nick trailed off, forgetting for a moment. "It was Blackgate, wasn't it?"

The wolf finally look up, boredom clear on his features. "Like, a year ago," he growled. "Though I guess I can give you a pass, Nick…" He shrugged his shoulders, going back to his magazine, and waved his paw, dismissing them.

Nick nodded and led his "slaves" though a door behind the wolf's desk. Judy looked out at the immense room, marveling its size, but grimacing from the noise. This place was huge... and it was filthy.

"Keep moving," Nick hissed quietly as he began walking towards the center of the mass of people and tables. There were odd things on the tables that none of them paused to look at. Mostly weapons, but there were quite a few "antiques" that had definitely been stolen. Shenzi kept a careful, albeit nervous, eye out, glancing at people only just briefly to take a mental picture of their face to see if they were wearing the jewelry, and at the tables just long enough to memorize the contents. She had found nothing.

Nick and his two "slaves" made their way to a booth manned by a possum who was smoking a cigar. Nick gave the possum a smile as he approached and said, "Gerry!" It sounded as if he was greeting an old friend.

"Eh?" the possum looked over at them. "And what do you want- Nick?" His eyes widened as he recognized the fox that had walked over to his booth.

"Hey, Gerry. Been awhile," Nick greeted with a small wave. He did his best to block the small possum's view of Judy and Shenzi. Gerry might not be the most dangerous animal in the market, but there was a good chance he was the sleaziest.

"Hey, where have you been? he asked. "It's been a long time since I've even heard from you!" He grinned as he set down his cigar, giving Nick his full attention.

"I've been, uh, on the down low for some time," Nick explained. He tried to stay vague, it didn't look like Gerry knew that he had become a cop.

"Did ya get into trouble or something?" he asked, leaning onto a chair. His view shifted behind Nick, and he saw Judy and Shenzi. "Or... it looks like you've been busy! You going to sell? 'Cause I know a few people who might be interested."

"Yeah, murder," Nick grinned leaning on the booth, "And they aren't for sale. They're mine." He couldn't help but growling slightly.

"All right, all right," the possum said, putting his hands up. "I was just... suggesting an avenue that could prove enriching, that's all. But if you're using them yourself, that's all right..."

"Yeah well, I'm not here to sell. I'm actually here to buy... are you aware of a recent jewelry store robbery that happened an hour or so ago?" Nick asked. He didn't expect Gerry to have the stolen pieces, but he would likely know who did.

"A robbery... well, I might. Why do you ask?" the possum asked, folding his paws on his desk.

"I have... reason to believe that the thief would want to bring his... merchandise here. And I would like to purchase a particular piece he might have taken," Nick admitted.

"Really, now? Well... do you happen to have the money on you?"

Nick shook his head, "I ain't showin' nothing until I see the pieces." It was a tough angle to work here, and especially with Gerry, but he didn't actually have any cash on him. And the market only accepted cash.

"Eh... well... for Nick, just once. For old times' sake, am I right?" he said, grinning. He leaned down and took out a small box, and in it were the jewelry pieces. "You're right it was recent, a panther sold me these not fifteen minutes ago!"

Nick smiled and picked through the pieces, frowning when he pretended he didn't see what he wanted. He let out a sigh and said, "I'm afraid what I want isn't here... can you give me the name of the panther who sold this to you? Or maybe which way he went? I want to see if I can't get him to go back and get what I want in a few weeks."

"His name is Evan and he went that way," he gestured down another row of stalls. Nick turned and, sure enough, he spotted a black jaguar standing at one of the booths, looking through the merchandise there.

"Thanks," Nick said, turning to walk away.

"Any time!" Gerry called as he watched the fox and his "slaves" walk away. "I'm always here, and I'm always willing to sell!"

Nick shook his head as he walked away. They started to approach the jaguar, but he walked away before they could get to them. "What now?" Judy whispered as they continued to follow the jaguar.

"It's too risky to make an arrest out here," Nick whispered back, "We'll ambush him outside."

"What about the jewelry?" she hissed as they changed directions and started walking towards the exit. Judy glanced back at the jaguar to see him going deeper into the market.

"Like I said, it's too difficult and risky to make an arrest here… I'll put out a warrant for Gerry's arrest and we'll get him when he tries to go home," Nick explained as they walked through the door. Nick sent the wolf a farewell wave, but he didn't bother to respond.

Judy nodded as they made it to the elevator. She was just happy they were out of the market. Although she was very careful not to look around too much, she swore she saw a few stands that were selling organs. And she had seen a lot of scantily clad, collared slaves moving around. She couldn't help but shiver, despite how hot she was, as the elevator door shut. She didn't even want to think about what was happening to those poor women.

They made it off the elevator, none of them saying a single word. Nick led them out of the building and towards the parking lot. They had parked on the street, quite a ways away from the market, just to avoid detection. But the parking lot was publicly owned and always packed. The perfect place to park and leave your car if you were going to be in a black market for a few hours.

Judy looked up at Nick as they walked towards the parking lot. "So… what's our next move?" she asked.

"We're going to have to get him before he can get to his car and get away. Did you bring handcuffs?" he asked, looking around, trying to spot the license plate of their thief. There were _a lot_ of white vans in this parking lot.

"Err... no, I left them in the car," Judy admitted.

"Shit… we're probably going to need those," Nick sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You're going to have to go and get them."

"All right. I'll be right back," Judy said as she turned to bolt towards their cruiser, but Nick stopped her before she could.

"Could I have my gun first?" he asked. He had given her his weapon that way she could keep it hidden. She was carrying her own gun as well, but Nick had said that he had never walked into the market before carrying a firearm, doing so now would've been suspicious. So, she had hidden it within the robes of the niqab.

"Yeah, here," she said, pulling the firearm from within the cloak. It wasn't quite too big for her to handle with one paw. Nick took the weapon and tucked it into his pants. "I'll be back," she said as she walked towards the cruiser.

Nick watched Judy walk away before he turned back to the cars, trying to find the license plate. "Over h-here, Nice Fox!" Shenzi called after only a few minutes of searching. Nick grinned as she pointed at a white van with the license plate they were looking for.

"Excellent job," he complimented.

"Whu-what do we do Nice Fox?" she asked, her legs shaking.

"It'll be a bit difficult to arrest him without handcuffs, but hopefully Carrots will be quick. Until she gets back, we're going to have to stall him," he explained, leaning against the van. He pondered going through the van, but decided it would be better to do after they had arrested him.

"If he gets here before Judy does, I'm going to pull my gun on him, and you try and block his escape route," he said, "Do you think you can do that? If he tries to escape… you might have to fight him."

"Uh... uh, a-all right Nice Fox," she stuttered. She wasn't sure if she could actually fight the jaguar. She had… fought before, but it was more of self-defense than attacking anyone. _What if he rushes and I panic?_ Nice Fox was trusting her… what if she failed him?

"He's going to be a bit bigger than you, but I have no doubt you're stronger than him... if push comes to shove, bite him as hard as possible. Break bone if you have to... that'll send him to the ground. And I'll have my gun, and Judy should be joining us soon, we'll get him," he said, trying to be as comforting as possible.

Shenzi crouched down not that far away from the van. "All right... Nice Fox. I will," she said slowly. Her legs were still shaking like an earthquake had just hit her, but she didn't immediately bolt when the black jaguar came into view.

Nick let out a deep breath when he saw the jaguar walking quickly towards the van. _Good, he didn't ditch the car and leave on foot... there must be something important here if he came back for it,_ he thought to himself as the jaguar walked up to him, clearly on edge.

Shenzi glanced at Nick, fear written across her face. The jaguar hadn't noticed her as she waited for him to do something. "Is your name Evan?" Nick asked.

The panther glared at Nick, though he could see a flash of fear go through the panther's eyes. "And you are?" the black jaguar growled, trying to seem intimidating, though it was obvious he was nervous.

"Officer Nick Wilde, you're under arrest," Nick growled, pulling out his gun. _Goddamn it Judy, you had better get here with the handcuffs soon,_ he screamed internally.

"What!" the panther exclaimed, his eyes widening even further than before. He took a step back and looked around for an escape route wildly. With a small sigh of relief, he spotted an exit, but before he could run away, Shenzi stepped out of hiding with a fearful whimper, blocking his path.

"Shit," Nick mumbled to himself as the jaguar glared at Shenzi and lowered himself. As if he was going to charge her. "Get on the ground, get on the ground!" Nick shouted out, brandishing his weapon, hoping the jaguar would comply. _Come on, Judy..._ he thought quietly. He wasn't sure how long they would be able to detain the panther, especially without handcuffs.

The black jaguar gulped, but lowered himself even farther, before taking off, rushing the frightened hyena. Nick fired at him, aiming for his legs, but missed just before the panther crashed into Shenzi. "Shit, fuck," Nick grumbled as he held his fire. He couldn't risk hitting Shenzi.

The two mammals rolled around on the ground, Shenzi having stopped the panther in his tracks, despite the weight discrepancy. She bit down as hard as she could on his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain and lash out in retaliation. She felt claws running through her muzzle and she let out a cry, rolling away from the panther. The black jaguar only got halfway to his feet before Nick brought the butt of his gun down on the back of his head.

The jaguar collapsed to the ground. "Well that could've gone better," Nick grumbled. "But you did a fantastic job of stopping him." She gave him a weak smile in response to his compliment, rubbing the claw marks on her face. Nick made a hissing sound and bent down to check on her. "We should probably get those covered, they're bleeding quite a bit. Are you all right?"

"I'm... I'm all right Nice Fox. It-it doesn't hurt t-too much," she winced as she touched the bloody marks.

He noticed her wince and licked his lips. "It's still something that we should get covered up, though. Where the hell did Carrots go?" he growled, gently moving her paws away from her face. He didn't want her rubbing the wounds.

"I don't know where Nice Carrots went Nice Fox. And don't worry about me, I don't want to slow you down," she said, her eyes screwed shut. It hurt, but she had felt worse. Much worse.

Nick let out a sigh, "I actually need you to stay here, with him. I don't want to move him in case he has a concussion. I have no idea where Carrots went, but I'm getting worried. I'm going to pull the car around, wait here with him for me... or her." He paused before leaving, "Do you want this? For security's sake?" he asked, offering his gun. It was probably a bad idea... but at the very least she wouldn't be attacked.

"T-thanks Nice Fox," she said, taking the smallish gun, and squeezing it in her paws. It made her feel safer, even if she had never used a weapon like this before.

"Just... uh, make sure it isn't me or Carrots before you pull the trigger," he grinned nervously. That would just be a swell way to end this day. Being shot by Shenzi. She'd better kill him too, otherwise Bogo would for giving a gun to a non-officer. With that thought, he jogged towards the cruiser, hoping to run into Judy along the way.

XXX

Judy made her way towards the cruiser at her own pace, just trying not to look suspicious. It didn't help that she was sweating like a pig in the niqab, and she planned to change the moment she got to the car. It was over ninety degrees in Sahara Square, why did she pick the niqab and not the veil?

But the cruiser eventually came into sight, causing her to release a sigh of relief. Her suffering was almost over. But before she could cross the street, two large mammals blocked her path. She glared up at them, but a shiver passed through her spine as she saw the identical grins plastered on their faces.

The lion and tiger gave each other a look before they turned and looked back at her, lecherous grins widening. "Hey little lady, don't you think it's a bit hot out for that outfit?" one of the thugs smirked.

Judy scowled, but didn't say anything. They started walking forward, causing her to start backing up. She didn't notice that she had backed into an alleyway until her back touched against the side of a dumpster. She was trapped.

"Ah, a silent one, that's even better!" the lion grinned. "You're a rabbit, aren't you? We've been looking for a rabbit for some time. All them are holed up in the burrows, making it difficult to find any good ones. Why don't you take off that outfit so we can get a good look at ya?" His partner shook his head rapidly in agreement.

 _Uh oh,_ she thought to herself as she considered what to do. She had to do _something._ Thinking quickly, she tried to reach her gun, pulling it free from its holster, and out of the folds of the cloak.

"Looks like the little rabbit ain't gonna cooperate, Zach, if you would?" the lion asked. The tiger swiped at Judy, knocking the gun out of her paws before she could bring it to bear on either of the thugs. The tiger grabbed Judy before she could react and tore off the scarf covering her face and head, placing a large paw over her mouth to prevent her from screaming out.

"Well look at her! Ain't she cute?" the tiger smirked as she struggled in his grasp. Judy squirmed the best she could, but the paws held her tight. She wasn't strong enough to free herself from the tiger, and even if she could, she wouldn't be able to get away from the lion.

"Come on, Zach, we've gotta get out of here!" the lion hissed to the tiger. He glanced around to see no one watching, and helped the tiger drag Judy towards a black van. Judy continued to struggle, but they held her tight. She couldn't escape.

They carried her over to their van where the lion opened the back. "Grab the sack," the tiger hissed as Judy managed to bite down on his paw. He let out a shout in pain, but didn't retaliate other than moving his paw away from her mouth.

It was at that moment Nick made his way out into the square, heading towards the car. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Judy being stuffed into a black van. "Judy?" he said, completely lost.

Judy gulped, horrified that this was happening to her. She heard Nick's voice, and she let out a cry of despair, " _HELP!_ " But it was too late, as the lion stuffed her into a bag, and tied the bag shut. Her vision went black as the last thing she saw was Nick's panicked expression. She felt them toss her into the back and heard the slam of the doors. The tires squealed as they drove away.

"Judy!" Nick called out. He started to run towards the fleeing van, but it was too late. She was gone. He dropped to his knees in anguish. The realization that he had lost her hit him hard. Tears sprung from his eyes, but he fought them back, to the best of his abilities. But he failed. _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,_ repeated over and over in his mind before he completely broke down.

XXX

Shenzi looked around, her legs shaking as she kept whimpering from fear. She was standing with her back to the panther's van, gun still grasped tightly in her paws. The panther was still unconscious When would the Nice Fox be back?

As the thought crossed her mind, the police cruiser pulled up next to her, and a dejected Nick stepped from the driver's seat. She noticed immediately that Judy wasn't with him. "Help me get him into the back," he said evenly, tone low and dull. He had changed from the casual wear back into his police uniform. He took his gun back from her and holstered it and slapped a pair of handcuffs onto the still unconscious jaguar.

"Where's Nice Carrots?" Shenzi asked, shaking in her skirt. The Nice Fox's tone scared her… he didn't sound happy. When the lion was unhappy, he would always shock her to make him smile again… would Nice Fox do that?

Nick gulped audibly, he too shaking in his clothes. Though not completely from fear, righteous fury was coursing through his veins like liquid fire. "She was taken," he growled. Tears sprung to his eyes once again as he said that.

"Oh! I'm sorry for asking a bad question Nice Fox!" Shenzi said quickly, as she dragged the panther into the back seat. He was just a bit heavier than her, but she was strong enough to lift him into the back.

Nick sniffed, swallowing again, "It's... not your fault, Shenzi. It's not your fault." He looked down at his feet while addressing her. Although he still quivered with anger, sadness had taken him again. The fires had died in his eyes, and they became expressionless once more.

"I... I'm sorry Nice Fox..." Shenzi trailed off. She wasn't sure how to comfort someone. She had lost a lot in her life… but no one had ever comforted her for her losses. "Can I take this stuff off now?"

"It's..." Nick trailed off, not bothering to finish what he was going to say. _Okay? How is any of this okay?_ he asked himself. "Yeah, you can take it off, we're done here." Shenzi nodded and took the hot clothing off. Nick mumbled something under his breath, then turned the siren on, and stepped on the gas. What was he going to tell the chief?

XXX

 **Yeah… Judy's gone. Taken. Kidnapped. Bet you weren't counting on that happening! We get to see Nick sort of fall apart here. And his depression will get worse and worse until he decides to do something about it. I wonder if he'll turn into Liam Neeson in** ** _Taken?_** **Where has Judy been taken? And for what purpose? All that and more in the next chapter, stay tuned until then!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – White with Eyes of Amber:

Author's Note:

 **Yes… Judy was taken last chapter. And now we get to see what happens to her. Is it a fate worse than death? Or… maybe it's not quite as bad as everyone seems to think. Who knows! Let's find out… please, enjoy!**

XXX

It was seemingly hopeless. Nick dragged his feet as he and Shenzi made their way into his apartment. It was really _just_ his apartment now… with Judy gone. They had turned the panther over to the law and filed the necessary paperwork before leaving. Nick didn't acknowledge the other officers, even when they asked where Judy was. He could only tremble in rage, fighting back tears, before walking away from them. He knew that he needed to tell the chief… but he just couldn't bring himself to do so.

Shenzi shut the door behind her as she entered the apartment. A deep frown marred her features, as did the scars from the panther's claws, as she stared at the Nice Fox. He stood silently in the center of the apartment, blankly staring at the bedroom. Shenzi was silent, despite her muzzle stinging something horrible, as she did not wish to bother the Nice Fox.

The silence dragged on and was quickly becoming uncomfortable, especially with the pain on her face. But Nick did not move from his silent vigil, nor did Shenzi try and break the silence with words. She wasn't even sure which ones to use.

Eventually, Nick began to move, heading towards the bedroom. Shenzi brightened slightly, she was beginning to worry that he had been broken. That he had just stopped working. But he was still working. Licking her lips slowly, she said, "Nice Fox? What do we do now?"

Nick turned back to stare at her with dead, lifeless eyes. "I don't know," he all but whispered, nearly too quiet for her to hear across the smallish living room.

"Should… shouldn't we try and find Nice Carrots?" she asked.

Nick swallowed slowly, "I wouldn't know where to start." It was hopeless. There didn't seem to be any point trying to find Judy. Even if he told everyone at the precinct, Judy could be dead or worse before they would be able to do anything.

"Oh... I'm sorry Nice Fox... I don't know how to help... I'm supposed to help whoever owns my collar... but I don't know how," she whimpered. She looked down at her feet, the Nice Fox's tone was getting to her.

"It's okay Shenzi... it's not your fault... there's nothing we can do," he muttered, walking towards his bedroom. Shenzi swallowed when she heard her real name from him… he hadn't called her that once since he had decided upon Spots. She liked being called Spots.

"Sh-should I cook something, Nice Fox?" she called after him, hoping to make herself useful.

"Don't bother," Nick sighed, "you can make something for yourself if you want... I'm not hungry." Nick made his way to his and Judy's room... and shut the door, leaving her alone. Alone to wallow in the gloom that hung over the apartment.

Shenzi stood there, by herself, confusion written across her face. She was supposed to help her owners... she had to help her owners, that was how this worked... and Nice Fox and Nice Carrots were... well... Nice! She had to help them. But... she didn't know how. And she was afraid… afraid that Nice Fox didn't want her help.

 _No… that can't be it,_ she said internally. Why would he have picked up her contract if he didn't want her help? _Nice Fox just needs to be cheered up… like I did when the Mean Lion clawed me,_ she decided. "Now… what would Banzai do?" she muttered to herself, still having not moved from her spot by the door.

Nick sat on his bed for what seemed like hours, completely unsure of himself or what to do. Eventually, he started stripping off his police uniform, throwing the discarded clothes onto the floor, not bothering to pick them up. What was the point? The only one who cared was Judy, even if she had the same problem, and she was gone. He dressed himself haphazardly, forgetting or not bothering with his tie.

He was alone for some time, dressed only in a pair of shorts and a white T-shirt. But Shenzi eventually entered the room, and began to pick up the clothes he had left on the floor. She figured maybe he would be in a better mood if everything was cleaner, and she had already finished every other room.

"What are you doing?" Nick asked softly. He had lied down so that he faced the ceiling, he didn't bother to roll over to look at her.

"I'm sorry I disturbed you Nice Fox!" she said, dropping the clothes that she had picked up. She had created a pile in the living room of dirty clothes that she planned to wash for him tomorrow. "I'm just cleaning!"

He still did not look at her. "Why bother?" He asked, "None of it matters anymore. Just... don't worry about it."

"But doesn't Nice Carrots like it clean?" Shenzi asked.

Nick froze before slowly turning to look at her. There was such innocence on her face, it nearly made him regret what he said. But she was an adult, even if she acted like a child, so he wouldn't stay his tongue. "And where is Nice Carrots, Shenzi?" he all but hissed.

Shenzi's eyes widened at Nick's furious expression. She took a step back, whimpering, "I... I don't know." _Have I made him upset?_ she panicked. She was sure Nice Fox would never shock her… but he seemed _really_ angry.

"No, you don't," Nick growled. With a loud grunt, he rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed. "She was taken, Shenzi. Taken by some really bad people... and I don't know what to do about it."

"How... can I help?" she asked, swallowing her burning desire to obey her fear and leave the room. But she had to help Nice Fox.

"Just... don't worry about it... there's nothing you can do. There's nothing I can do. There's nothing anybody can do," he said, getting quieter and quieter as he continued. "She's gone," he said, barely loud enough for her to hear him.

"Can't she be found?" she asked, confused as to why he was giving up so quickly. He hadn't even tried yet!

"I don't know," Nick said, laying down and turning over so that he was facing the ceiling again.

"Can't we at least try?" she asked, perplexed by Nick's gloom. It didn't make any sense to her… why was he losing hope when he didn't even know if she _could or couldn't_ be found.

"How? Where? Why bother?" he grunted. "There just doesn't seem to be any point... when it's all a hopeless endeavor."

"Wouldn't Nice Carrots want us to try? If she's being held by bad animals, wouldn't she want to be freed from the bad animals?" she pondered aloud. Nick's reluctance to even try was still confusing her. If Nice Carrots was in trouble… wouldn't she want someone to come help her? Shenzi knew that when _she_ was in trouble, she wanted someone to help her.

"..." he wasn't sure how to respond to that. He knew, deep in his heart, that she was right, he wanted so desperately to do something. He wanted to save her, he wanted to bring her back. But there was that nagging, logical side of his brain that still asked, _why bother?_ There was nothing he could do, so why try?

But he let out a loud sigh and asked, "What do you suggest?" Maybe by proving Shenzi had no idea what was going on, or by showing her that her hope was misplaced, she would leave him alone.

"Uh... to look for her?" was her simple answer, a smile trying to creep onto her face.

"Where? Where do we start?" he pushed, throwing his arms in the air though he did not bother to look at her.

"Maybe that possum would know something," she said, trying to think back to what had happened that day.

Nick's eyes narrowed as he considered that possibility. Gerry wasn't the cleanest guy, but he wasn't involved in some of the worst things there on the market. He was actually surprised the possum had the stolen jewelry... Gerry wasn't exactly known for jewelry, he was more of a bootlegger. "Maybe… we'll see tomorrow, I guess," Nick sighed.

"So, you're not giving up?" she asked, a hopeful expression rising on her face.

"I'll at least see if Gerry knows something," he admitted. He wasn't exactly hopeful, but he _had_ gotten a good look at the two who took Judy. Maybe if he could get a composite of the two who had taken her, he could check the police database.

"I... okay... I'll just go back to cleaning then... I'll have this place clean for you Nice Fox," she gave him a soft smile, nodding as she bent down to get the rest of the cleaning done.

"Thank you, Spots..." Nick muttered as he rolled over again, "How you still manage after all you've been through... I'll never know." He fell apart because his girlfriend was taken, she had suffered by the hands of a monster for ten years... how could she keep going? And have the strength to drag him along with her?

Shenzi turned back to Nick. It felt good to hear that nickname again. "I... I keep going because I think of my family... I mean... I hope that once I get my collar off... I can see all of them again. Just like Nice Carrots probably wants to be back with you right now."

"Shenzi... if, at any point, you want to go back to your family... or you want to go back to your friend... Banzai, was it? I'll hand you over, without a struggle," Nick swallowed. "You don't have to wait for your collar to come off... and you don't have to help me if you don't want to."

"But... Nice Carrots said that if I didn't serve the rest of my twenty-five years, I would get in trouble! She said if I didn't stay close to you, I could get in really big trouble, that I would get even more years!" she paused. "Uh... when you got my contract... I gotten ten more years. I'm back where I started with this..." she whimpered, pointing to her collar.

"Yes, if you don't serve the rest of your years, you will be in trouble... but that doesn't mean I won't transfer your contract if you ask. If you don't want to spend the rest of your time with me and... me, just say so. And I'll give you back to your family... or Banzai, if you wish. And you can serve the rest of your time with them," Nick sighed. "I'm just a stranger to you, no matter how nice I am... I can't be as good as your family, or your best friend."

"I thought you said transferring contracts was impossible. Isn't that why you killed the lion?" she asked.

"It has to be willing... the contractor has to willingly give you up, and I doubt that lion was willing to let you go," he explained. "Besides, that lion deserved to die."

"Oh... you'd... you'd let me... go... go back?" she whispered.

"If that is what you wish... I wouldn't want to stand in the way of your happiness. We're trying to help you... and if the best way to do that is to let you go, then all you have to do is ask," he mumbled. He wasn't sure why he was so hesitant to let her go... she wasn't even related to him.

"I... you're an even nicer fox than I thought," she said. "But... I don't actually know where... my family is... I was hoping I would be able to look for them... once I had my collar off." She crossed her legs in embarrassment as she admitted that she had no idea how to find her family.

Nick swallowed, it looked as if they were both in similar situations. "I could pass you off to your friend Banzai, if you want... I just don't want to burden you with my shit when you have your own shit to deal with," he admitted.

"Oh... Banzai doesn't make enough money though... just barely enough to support himself. He couldn't take me, not in a practical sense..." she frowned as she remembered that particular conversation about money with her friend.

"I... I just want you to be happy. Wherever you're happiest is where you belong. I won't force you otherwise," Nick sighed. "If you want to stay, that's fine... if you want to leave, I don't blame you."

Shenzi frowned, unsure of what to do. Nice Fox... was really, very nice. "Well... when my collar does come off... could you and Nice Carrots help me find my family?"

"...I will do anything to help you find your family, Shenzi. As for Judy..." he only swallowed and didn't finish his sentence.

"I'll help you find her, of course," she said with a small smile.

"I know you will..." he said, finally managing a weak smile. "I know it seems as if I'm a bit... depressed at the moment. I just... really miss her."

"Well... do you like her? Like... a lot?" she asked, innocence nakedly clear in her voice. She clearly had only a child's understanding of relationships.

Nick stiffened before he let out a small chuckle, "Yeah. I love her, Shenzi. I love her..."

"Well... then can't give up, can you?" she said.

Nick ground his teeth together. "I know that I can't give up. My heart screams at me to find her, save her, and free her from what surely must be hell... but logic tells me that I don't know where to start. No one, except those she was taken by, knows where she is... I have nothing... and it's hopeless," he growled.

"Banzai once told me, when he was talking about my collar, that if you have love, it's never hopeless. I mean... I don't know what he meant by it... but I think you need hope, and you have love so... it sounded relevant." She said.

Nick snorted, he knew exactly what Banzai meant. _So... that's why he's stuck with her through thick and thin... should I tell her?_ he pondered, a grin finally surfacing on his face. _Nah, I'll let her find out herself._ "You're right, all I need is a bit of hope. And you know what? I think I've found it," Nick said, standing from the bed and walking over to her. He slung his arm around her waist, "I love Judy, and you just gave me hope. With you by my side, I _will_ find her. And we start tomorrow... and I'll rope every damn cop in the precinct into this if I have to!"

Shenzi smiled, feeling glad that she had, for the first time, truly helped her owner. "You're welcome Nice Fox," she said, unsure whether or not she should hug him back.

Nick chuckled when he saw her hesitance, "It's fine if you want to hug me back, Spots... or if you're too uncomfortable, I can stop. In any case... I'm just really glad we found you at that diner."

"I... I'm glad you found me too... and that you were nice" she replied, hugging Nick and picking him up.

Nick couldn't help but laugh as she lifted him several feet off the ground into a bone-crushing hug, "Tomorrow... tomorrow we find her. No matter what."

"Yeah... I think Nice Carrots will be happy to see us," she replied with a wide smile. It felt _so right_ to hug Nice Fox like that. And his happy mood made the cloud of depression vanish over the apartment, making her happy as well.

"After whatever Hell she's been through... she'll be delighted to see us," Nick sighed. She let him fall to the ground, to which he landed as gracefully as possible. "Let's get some sleep... we've got a big day tomorrow."

"Okay," she nodded as she quickly grabbed the rest of the clothes strewn across the floor and walked out. She tossed them onto the pile she had already started and moved the small coffee table so she could pull out the bed in the couch.

Nick let out a loud sigh as he draped himself in blankets. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to sleep without Judy... he ended up staring at the ceiling for hours, no matter how exhausted he was... he couldn't actually fall asleep.

XXX

The black van hit a bump in the road, jostling Judy. She had been in the bag for what felt like hours, though she had no real way of knowing how long it had been. The heat was stifling in the burlap of the bag, forcing her to remove the niqab to prevent her from suffocating. Though she still had on her police uniform… she wasn't sure how kindly the thugs would take to it.

She could hear the tiger and lion arguing among themselves. She strained her ears to listen. She heard one of them say in a deep voice that she recognized to be the lion, "I still don't get why the boss wants _her_."

"I guess the boss has strange tastes… though a rabbit _is_ a bit of an odd choice," she heard the other one, the tiger, respond.

"Yeah well… at least it's not my sister," the lion sighed.

"Who would want _your_ sister… least of all the boss?" she could hear the smirk in the tiger's voice.

"You do a shit job lying, I caught you eyeing her a few days ago," the lion growled. "Just because the boss doesn't want her, doesn't mean you get to have her."

Judy strained her ears, trying to get a clearly picture of what was going on. What… what were they talking about? "Well _sorry_ that I'm a guy, I can't help but stare sometimes!" the tiger chuckled. "But I never would've taken the boss for an _inter._ "

"With a rabbit, nonetheless," the lion added. "But that still doesn't mean you can have my sister." Judy heard the tiger give a sarcastic groan, before the lion continued with, "Come on, chin up… we're almost at the gate."

Judy frowned. She didn't like the sound of this… who were they talking about? And why did they want her? The car came to a stop and a voice, not from within the car, commanded, "proceed," to which the car began moving again, jostling Judy once again from within the sack.

A few minutes later the car stopped, and Judy heard the doors open. Seconds ticked by before she heard the back doors of the van opening and she felt someone grab a hold of the sack. Clenching her jaw tightly, she decided silence was the best option. She still didn't know what was going on. The lion shook the bag a bit, despite the tiger's protest. Judy continued to remain silent. "Do you think we killed her?" the lion asked, worry evident in his voice.

Judy rolled her eyes, but didn't speak. Maybe they would just toss her aside if they thought they had killed her. They almost didn't seem smart enough to check. "Uh oh..." the tiger muttered, tearing the bag open and reaching inside. He pulled out Judy by her ears, forcing a small gasp from her lips. She glared at the tiger, who only let out a sigh in relief.

"She's still alive," he said. There was no telling what the boss would've done to them if they had failed to bring him a rabbit. But his eyes widened as he glanced at the uniform she was wearing. "And... hey... what are you wearing?!" he demanded.

Judy gulped. This didn't look good for her. _What if they decide to kill me?_ she pondered as the lion pointed at her dumbly. "...That's a police uniform," the lion gaped at the blue uniform and chest plate. "You're Judy Hopps! How did we kidnap the only police bunny? One that _everyone_ recognizes?"

"Bad luck?" Judy suggested, but the paw that held her squeezed her ears tighter in retaliation. Darn it, that _hurt!_ "And you'll certainly pay for it too!"

The lion glanced at the tiger, "Uh... what do we do?"

The tiger scratched his head. "Well... we take her to the boss anyways... and then hightail it. If anyone gets in trouble, it'll be him!" he grinned as the brilliant plan came to his mind. "And who knows? He's got a lot of resources at his disposal, he can probably keep a bunny hidden away for a long time..."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right, let the boss handle this mess!" the lion grinned at the genius. He watched the tiger stuff her back into the sack and sling it over his shoulder. Judy quickly felt around again, but the sack was just as secure as before. She heard them go through a few doors, and then stop.

"We're here boss! With what you requested," the tiger said. Judy gulped. What was going to happen to her? She could only ponder the worst while in the sack. But which was worse? Being sold as a regular slave or a sex slave? Neither seemed good.

"Ah, excellent," a large, white wolf grinned, folding his paws in his lap. He sat at a large, beautiful table, that's length spanned nearly the entirety of the huge room it was in. On his left sat another wolf, this one with a gray coat, showing her age, and to his right sat a young hyena girl, wearing a collar. "Please, show me what you've brought."

Judy felt the sack upend and she fell onto the table. She immediately steadied herself, managing to land on her feet. The grin widened on the wolf's face as he glanced Judy up and down. But his eyebrows rose in confusion when he saw the police uniform. "Officer Judy Hopps?" he asked his cronies as he recognized the rabbit.

"You'd better believe it!" Judy shouted as her eyes scanned the room for some means of escape. To her growing dread, she saw nothing that wasn't guarded or blocked. "And you'll pay for this!"

"Oh dear..." the wolf sighed, "I believe my friends have made a tremendous mistake. They weren't supposed to bring me the best officer on the ZPD." He glared at the tiger and the lion. The henchmen shared a glance and gulped simultaneously.

"That doesn't matter! You kidnapped me, and that's a felony!" Judy shouted, fumbling around for her gun, only to realize that it was gone. It had been knocked out of her paws and was lying in an alley… in Sahara Square.

The wolf rubbed his temples, "Officer Hopps… do you know who I am?"

Raising an eyebrow, she looked the wolf over. He stared back at her with hardened amber eyes. "Haven't a clue!" she responded, deciding to be honest. She truly did not recognize the white wolf.

"I am Wolfgang Fritz, one of the most powerful and feared crime lords in the world," the wolf growled as he stood from his place at the head of the huge table. He padded towards the small bunny, towering over her even from her standing position on top of the table. "And I will do as I please."

"Oh yeah? Well..." Judy paused. She _had_ heard of the wolf that stood before her… but just barely. She only knew that he was deeply involved in certain criminal enterprises. "Well, what did you want a bunny for, anyways?" she asked, taking a step backwards, trying to put more distance between her and her captor.

The wolf let out a sigh. "My mother," he pointed at the aging wolf, "refuses to pass the empire down to me until I wed. To be honest, I am perfectly content to go through life as a lone wolf... but I do enjoy this enterprise."

Judy blinked. She _couldn't_ have heard him right. "And you need me for… what?" she asked him again, hoping that he wasn't going to say what she thought he was going to say.

"My bride, of course. Well... it wasn't supposed to be you specifically, but I suppose you're better than any other I could find," the wolf shrugged, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Judy's mouth went agape in surprise. "W-what?!" she exclaimed.

"Well, yes. What did you expect when I said 'I must be wed?' " the wolf chuckled.

"Y-y-you're insane!" she shouted, taking another step back, nearly falling off the table.

"How so?" the wolf asked, legitimately confused. He walked around the table, approaching her once again.

"I... I'm a rabbit! You're... a wolf!" she said, falling over and scooching backwards to get away from him. She didn't want to be anywhere _near_ this crazy wolf!

"Yes? And?" he asked calmly.

"And-and-... you aren't actually expecting that... that _this_ would ever work!" she replied.

The wolf grinned, "I don't understand what you're concerned about. Aren't you dating a fox?"

Judy stared at him, her jaw agape as she tried to process everything that was happening. "What? No!" she said after a moment's hesitation. _How did he know that?_ she could only wonder. It was better to keep her relationship with Nick secret. "Nick Wilde is my official partner!"

"Right, and my coat is black," he rolled his eyes. He rubbed his temples again as he approached her once more. Finally letting out a loud sigh, he said, "You know, I didn't want to do this, but his life hangs in the balance. With a single word, your 'official partner' Nick Wilde will die."

Judy felt a pang of fear in her heart. "Kill… Nick?" she asked softly, as if not believing the words out of his mouth.

"I know, I know, it sounds terrible. The idea was that a bunny wouldn't force my hand like this. I really don't like killing cops," the wolf admitted. "But if you're going to be difficult, then I'm going to have to take action."

"I... I... don't hurt Nick!" she pleaded as her heart beat faster and faster until it felt like it was going to explode out of her chest.

"And I won't, all you have to do is agree to be my bride," he said, a small smile gracing his features.

Judy considered her options. And they… _sucked_. She... she couldn't let them hurt Nick. And even if she escaped... they would still hurt Nick. She... well... _shit_... what could she even do? She crossed her arms as a scowl presented itself on her face, "Fuck you."

"I'd rather you not," Wolfgang smirked. "But you don't have a choice, Miss Hopps… unless you want officer Wilde… disposed of." He trapped her at the edge of the table, she had nowhere else to run.

She trembled with rage, she didn't have a choice. It was either this… or Nick's death. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to think of a way out… but none presented itself. She was… trapped. Both literally and figuratively. She hung her head, but did not verbally admit defeat. The wolf smirked slightly when he saw her realize her defeat. "Considering your options, this is a fantastic deal. All you have to do is marry me... and that's it," he said.

"Yeah. That's it," Judy muttered, staring up at the horrid wolf in front of her. The wolf nodded to someone behind her, and to her horror, she felt a collar lock around her neck, with a chain attached to it. The henchmen then tossed the chain to the wolf, who caught it.

"Hey!" she gasped, tugging at the collar around her neck.

"This is a precaution. At least until we're married. Besides, you won't be my side 24/7... Miss Hyena?" he called for the collared hyena who let out a groan and stood.

"What?" she hissed.

"Take Miss Hopps to find something more presentable to wear," he ordered. The hyena nodded and walked over to Judy.

"What - stop that!" Judy exclaimed, as the hyena took the chain and yanked her from the desk. She landed on the floor, keeping her balance. Wolfgang only watched blankly as she was led away by the collared servant.

"Come on, rabbit, best get this over with," the hyena sighed and dragged Judy out of the room.

XXX

They walked out of what seemed to be the dining room, with Judy behind the hyena. They walked in silence for a while, Judy unable to crush the sudden feeling of... dread and despair that engulfed her. "So... who are you?" she asked the hyena, shattering the silence . She had to do something to keep herself from reviewing her awful situation.

"I'm nobody special. Just another one of Master Fritz's slaves," she sighed, taking Judy into a large room filled with hundreds of different dresses of different sizes.

Judy looked out at the assortment, then back at the hyena. "Well... I'm sorry... about that. But I guess I'm in a similar situation," she sighed.

"Not really, Wolfgang is very kind... when you behave. Master Fritz is... well, she can be a bit of a bitch. I'm stuck to her, you at least get him," the hyena admitted and started to dig through the racks of clothes, picking out things that were Judy's size.

"Well... how is Wolfgang like normally?" Judy asked, as the hyena got out a pile of very pretty dresses, and put it next to some other clothing Judy hoped she wouldn't have to wear, due to the fact that it looked like it did a very terrible job of covering everything.

"Ah... he's so nice when compared to the rest of his family. He refuses to yell at you, even when you screw up. He has a habit of shooting people he doesn't like... but his family has that problem in spades. He might seem a bit cold or cruel, but he can be quite charming," the hyena let out a sigh, "I wish he picked me..." She continued to dig through clothing item after clothing item.

"Believe me, I wish he picked you too." Judy muttered, as the hyena picked up a bright red dress with a tight skirt. The hyena considered it for a moment, then set it aside with a few other options.

The hyena shook her head. "Of course, I'm a bit biased... I'm a slave. But when his mother _finally_ dies, I'll pass on to whoever takes her place." she sighed again. "Though I can't blame him for picking you over me. Not that I was ever competition in the first place."

"Why is that?" Judy asked.

"His father had a bit of a rabbit fetish... hence all the rabbit-sized clothes. I think he's doing this to spite his mother, who hated his father's fetish... but the will says nothing about the species he has to marry," she explained.

"Oh boy," Judy muttered. Then, a horrible thought occurred to her. "You don't think he's going to... to do... _it_?! With... me?!"

The hyena shook her head, "No… probably not. Wolfgang isn't like that. At all."

"Oh lord," Judy muttered, "How can you be so sure?"

"He… no, I probably shouldn't. Just trust me on this… besides, I thought you bunnies like doing it," the hyena grinned before handing her an outfit.

"We're not always in heat!" Judy retorted. "Just... often," she added hesitantly, scowling. She examined the dress, and to her dismay found it cut a little bit low in front. It was red, with a flowing skirt that went down to her paws. "Do I have to wear this?"

The hyena shrugged, "Unless you can find something better. My orders were to 'make you presentable' so whatever works, I suppose."

"Uh... what would fit under presentable for him?" she asked, looking over the dresses.

The hyena shrugged again, "I'd presume a formal dress of some kind. If he complains, I'll just tell him he should've done it himself."

"All right then... I'll just take something that isn't too fancy," Judy said, taking out another red dress. It looked much more comfortable than the last.

"Be my guest. Like I said, if he complains… just leave him to me."

"Right... could you turn around for a moment?" Judy asked. The hyena nodded, but stepped closer to her before turning her head. Blushing, Judy took off her uniform, which was a little difficult with the collar and chain around her neck. But after a few minutes of struggling, she had the dress on.

"All right, let's get to dinner," the hyena smiled. Judy frowned. She hated dresses, she had never, ever worn one. But here she was, wearing one of the prettiest dresses she had ever seen, just to look presentable to a wolf she was being forced to marry. _Shit._

The hyena lead her out of the room, and back around the many hallways that branched through the building. Eventually, they made it back to the same room she had just been in, the same massive table spanning the room. Only, Wolfgang and his mother were sitting on the opposite end of the table, away from the door the hyena had led her through.

Wolfgang clapped his paws together the moment he laid eyes on her, nodding as he did, "Excellent job, Miss Hyena." He gestured to her to take a seat beside him. His mother sat at the head of the table and he sat to her right. The hyena took a seat on his mother's left.

Judy swallowed apprehensively as she took the seat next to Wolfgang. "Uh... hi," she managed. She wasn't even sure _why_ she was greeting him at all.

The wolf nodded in return, looking down at her. "Hello," was his simple response.

"So... is this arrangement... permanent?" she asked, worry creeping into her tone. She wasn't sure _why_ she was asking… she already knew the answer.

The wolf sighed, "I'm afraid so." He leaned down so he could whisper in her ear, "Between you and me, I would let you go the moment the old hag died... but I'm afraid I cannot do that." He leaned back and said aloud, "When are they going to get here?"

The hyena perked up. "Food should be here in a couple minutes," she answered.

"I mean my brother and sister," he hissed, looking at his mother. She only shrugged, causing him to sigh in defeat. They were always late, and he wanted to brag about his catch to them. That he was getting the empire, not them.

Judy scooted to the far side of her chair, wanting to be as far as possible from Wolfgang. She knew that there was no escape. Although there was only one guard standing by the door, and he looked about ready to fall asleep, she was still wearing the collar. And the chain would slow her down if she tried to run.

Wolfgang noticed her scooting away, causing him to roll his eyes. She'd quickly change her mind when the others showed up.

Hardly three minutes passed when the doors opened and four animals walked in. The first two were wolves, both with gray pelts, like their mother, though not quite as dark as the aging Fritz. The third animal was a snow leopardess, and the fourth was a collared, black-coated wolf. The two gray coated wolves sat on opposite sides of each other, one next to Judy, the other next to the hyena. The leopardess sat on Judy's side of the table, while the collared wolf sat on the opposite side.

"Now ve can begin," the eldest wolf growled, ringing a small bell by her side. Doors to the side opened, and animals of all species streamed in, holding plates with all sorts of foods on them. In moments, the entire table was set, candles lit, and forks put out.

"Wow," Judy whispered, staring out at the feast.

"I had them get some carrots for you, Miss Hopps," Wolfgang leaned over to whisper in her ear again.

"Bunnies don't eat carrots," she whispered back, as she was handed a plate filled with the orange vegetables. "That's just a stereotype."

"Bunnies aren't supposed to eat _lots_ of carrots, that's why I ordered a few other vegetables as well," he grinned as a few more plates of veggies came out. "You have plenty to choose from, Judy dearest."

Judy cringed when he called her _dearest._ Only Nick could call her that! Muttering softly under her breath so on one would hear, she took some lettuce and little tomato for her plate.

"So, Wolfgang, you decided on a bunny if all animals? Why?" the wolf next to Judy said, taking a rather large helping of chicken. His voice was deep, though not quite as deep as Wolfgang's, identifying him as male.

"I thought it would be best, like father like son, after all," Wolfgang mumbled. It was best to not admit his choice was out of spite.

"Like father like son? Really, I'm his son too but I managed not to inherit that oddity" the brother said, taking a bite.

"At least I didn't pick up the cheapest whore on the side of the street," Wolfgang hissed. His brother's eyes narrowed with rage, but his sister burst out laughing. But he rounded on her next. "And at least I didn't decide on a slave," he growled.

She only shrugged, "What can I say? It makes things more... interesting in the bedroom." She laughed again when he cringed at her response.

Judy swallowed. She didn't like the discussion of... the bedroom. Wolfgang noticed Judy's disgust and couldn't help but agree. His sister could be a bit… uncouth.

"You know brother... I actually think I recognize that bunny," the brother said. "Who is she?" He leaned back in his chair as he awaited an answer.

"This is officer Judy Hopps," Wolfgang introduced her when he realized she wasn't going to do it herself. He gestured towards her, but did not make any attempt to touch her.

"Judy Hopps? _The_ Judy Hopps?" the brother asked, raising his eyebrow with a toothy grin. "Well, despite her species, I must say you aim high, brother! She's caused some of us more trouble than we care to mention! And now you have her here, on a chain! Well done brother! I'm sure she'll feel the sting of your revenge tonight... especially if she is to be your wife. There are many ways to make a pretty soul hurt in bed."

Judy gulped. Wolfgang grimaced, which she noticed, but he let out a sigh, "I suppose there are ways, but I'm not like that, dear brother. And the only one she has caused trouble for here is _you_."

The white wolf paused before a smirk rose on his face. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" he asked.

"Jealousy?" the brother exclaimed. "Jealous of you and a... rabbit?" he asked as if the very concept was impossible.

"And you should be. The wedding is in three days, when my inheritance will be set in stone. There is nothing you can do about it, dear brother," Wolfgang said calmly.

Three days? Just three days until she was married to this creep? Judy's ears sagged at the thought. Was she even going to be able to see Nick ever again? The brother snorted, "Believe me, I am very well acquainted with father's will."

"Good," Wolfgang sighed and went back to his food. He took a sideways glance at Judy to see her ears lying down flat.

He was unable to do anything to stop his sister from speaking, "Hey, rabbit," she called out, swallowing her food in one gulp after Judy looked up at her. "How'd ya end up in all this?"

Judy frowned. She wanted so badly for this to be a dream, for her kidnapping to be some sort of nightmare. But… this was reality. "I was grabbed by two of your brother's thugs," she said, looking down at her plate.

"Brother!" the she-wolf placed a hand against her chest as if offended, "I'm shocked! I didn't know this meant so much to you to go against your principles and kidnap a cop. I mean, I expect this from him," she pointed at her other brother, "but not from you. I'm so proud!" She grinned at the white wolf. Wolfgang remained silent as she continued, "So he just snatched you up and now you're eating dinner with us. Man, that's gotta suck."

"You could say that," Judy growled, picking at her food. The sister made her feel sick, she didn't want to eat anymore.

"You can stop harassing her now, dear sister. There's no need to pretend you aren't trying to make me let her go either. As I will not," Wolfgang growled.

"I'm sorry, brother, but not all of us can have first dibs. What if I were to threaten her? Would that make you feel better?" the sister chuckled.

Judy looked up at the sister, her eyes wide. The brother gave her another creepy grin and said, "Indeed little brother. She's a cop, and a good one at that. Of course, not anymore, but you can't expect her to be faithful to you, no matter what you have dangling over her head! If I were you, I would... break her in a little bit."

Judy gulped audibly as a tremor passed through her spine. The sound of hammers being pulled back were deafening to Judy as she looked up to see Wolfgang had pointed a gun above her head at his brother and another across the table at his sister. "Perhaps you have forgotten why I get first crack, dear brother, sister," he snarled.

The brother frowned at him, but his sister's insane grin only widened. "I am the best out of the three of us, the fastest, the strongest, and the youngest. And I never miss," his voice finally dropped its calm tone and took on a darker one. "There is no need to fear, she will not betray me, she will not try to run, and there is no need to _break her in_ … another suggestion like that will find a bullet in your skull."

The brother raised his eyebrow, staring down the barrel of the gun. "Well, if you like her so much, why don't you just let her go? I'm sure she would prefer that instead of being forced to marry an animal three times her size," he asked slowly.

"To what end, dear brother? I am just as bound as she is in this deal. I would be forced to take someone else, and I know she will not allow that," he said. "I admire her for that. She's willing to sacrifice herself instead of letting someone else take her place."

Judy's ears flopped down, _Fuck... he's right_. Oh... she really was doomed to marry this wolf... wasn't she? Tears threatened to flow, as she thought about Nick. The brother only snorted, "Whatever you say… _dear_ brother."

Wolfgang slowly lowered his weapons and placed them back into his holsters. "You're the only one who's married, if mother dies tomorrow, you would inherit the empire. I have to do this."

"I suppose, you don't have a choice... do you?" the sister said, picking her teeth with her claws.

Judy sighed. Life had all seemed so perfect for the longest time... she had Nick... she was doing well in her job... they had just rescued Shenzi and were going to give her a better life. Now... now... it had all come crashing down. And it was going to stay that way. _No escape._ Tears threatened to spill again as she tried to sooth herself with the thought that maybe... maybe Wolfgang would let her see Nick...

"I don't," Wolfgang growled. He looked down at her, just as she glanced over at him. She tried to glare at him, but decided she would rather stare at her food instead. But she heard him whisper, _"I'm sorry about that."_ No one else seemed to notice.

 _Like hell he is,_ Judy growled to herself as she pushed her plate away. Dinner progressed quietly for only a few moments until the eldest Fritz burst out laughing, drawing everyone's attention to her.

The brother frowned, "Mother, what is so funny?" Judy didn't bother looking at the eldest wolf, she didn't care.

"Volfgang," the eldest Fritz said, drawing the attention of the white wolf. "You haff truly become your father. Perhaps you _are_ ze correct one to take his mantel, despite choosing a bunny over a nice volf." Wolfgang only snorted.

Judy's ear flicked in annoyance. She didn't care about this family's politics. She hated each and every one of them. The mother let out a deep sigh, "I do hope you're right about zis bunny. If you aren't careful, she vill destroy everysing your father und I built. But, I cannot argue against his vill."

Wolfgang nodded solemnly, but still spoke out. "I trust that she will do the right thing," the white wolf said, glancing down at her again, but was very careful not to touch her. Whether for her sake, or for his, she couldn't tell.

"Oh yeah... the right thing," she muttered, spearing her lettuce with a fork. She hated that he was right. She had no other choice.

Wolfgang chuckled. His sister, however, took the opportunity to ask, "Tell me little rabbit… if you had all the power in the world at this moment... what would you do to us?" She leaned forward with an intense, insane grin in her eyes as she waited for an answer.

"Wish myself away... kill your henchmen... free your slaves... and smite you all," she replied immediately, her ears sagging in front of her face. It was her honest answer, but she was afraid of what… what would happen to her if she said it aloud. _Does it really matter?_

"Oh, that's no fun..." the sister sighed. Wolfgang rolled his eyes and the brother didn't bother to respond. The hyena, however, took note of Judy saying freeing the slaves. Though she technically wasn't a slave, she was a criminal. "You could at _least_ make us 'pay' for what we've done. A little torture never hurt anyone..." the sister paused to laugh before saying, "How's that for 'under control' brother?"

"Irrelevant... even if she had all of that power, she still would not use it to free herself or any of us. Not even God can cheat death," he said, cracking his neck. Judy was confused for a moment, until she realized that he had meant Nick... and not her.

 _It doesn't matter… he knows he's won,_ she grumbled internally. This sucked. She frowned as she thought of Nick. If anything… she was relenting… she was doing this for him. To protect him.

"I have complete control, Kat, complete control," Wolfgang sighed, almost as if he regretted even saying the words.

"Yeah, whatever, complete control is no fun," the sister shook her head.

"And why would that be, dear sister?" the white wolf asked.

That insane grin returned to the she-wolf's face. "Complete control is boring, dear brother! Sometimes a little chaos can go a long way..." she pulled the collared wolf that sat next to her closer and ran her tongue down the side of his face. "Maybe I'll wear the collar tonight..." she grinned again.

Judy looked back down at her food, as Wolfgang rolled his eyes. "You're insane. But it doesn't matter-" he picked up Judy's chain, eliciting a quick gasp from her. "She will obey me."

"Fine, have it your way. Like I said... a little chaos goes a _long_ way," she grinned, letting her partner go. Wolfgang did the same, dropping the chain to the ground again. Judy wasn't sure what to think now... this was pure insanity, and now she was trapped in the middle.

Dinner passed quickly after that, servants coming to pick up the plates and carry them away. The brother and sister, along with their partners, bid them farewell, and promised to be back in time for the wedding. And then it was just Judy, Wolfgang, his mother, and the collared hyena.

"Dinner was nice," Judy muttered, scowl set deep on her mouth.

Wolfgang snorted, "You don't need to lie to me. I know you hate us, I hate them too."

"It's you I hate," she growled, before she thought better of it. There was still no telling what he would do.

He looked down at her, boredom clearly written on his face. "And?" he asked.

"And... and whatever. I'm stuck with you," she replied, crossing her arms. She did not move as he got up and walked over to the aging wolf.

"That's what I thought," he sighed. He turned to the hyena and said, "Take her to her room, and stay with her, will you? I must help mother." He offered his mother an arm to help pull herself up out of the chair, but she refused his gesture, causing him to roll his eyes. He followed her back to her room, despite her protesting.

The hyena stood and gave Judy a small smile, before taking ahold of the chain around her neck, carefully leading her to her room for the night. The walk to 'her' room was short, as the room in question was halfway between the dining room and the room full of dresses. The door was a plain white color, but once it was opened, it revealed a huge room, most of the space taken up by the bed and dresser.

"Goodnight," the hyena said, exiting the room, and turning off the lights. Judy sighed as the hyena shut the door. The hyena had fixed the chain to the head of the bed, just in case, but the room looked very nice, and the bed was lavish. She hadn't yet seen the outside of the building, but they had to be in a mansion.

And who knew _where_ this mansion was. For all she knew… she was no longer in Zootopia. Even if she did escape… there was no way to know if she would be able to find her way home. But she looked up to the chain that bound her to the bed nonetheless, grabbing and tugging on it with all her might, desperation seeping in.

XXX

Shenzi had been sound asleep, twitching in dream. She breathed in and out, calmly at first... then it began to pick up its pace. A nightmare began taking its hold on her peaceful dreamscape. It was not long before she let out a scream and shot upwards in a sitting position, hugging herself as the terror of the previous moment filled her.

Nick's eyes widened when he heard an ear-piercing shriek. It had to be Shenzi. He got out of bed quickly, throwing the covers aside, and rushed into the living room to see her sitting on the mattress with her knees against her chest as she rocked back and forth. Tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Uh... Spots? What's wrong?"

"They..." Shenzi shut her eyes for a moment, tears beginning to flow. "They hate me!"

Nick's eyebrow arched as he asked, "Who's they? Why do they hate you?"

"My family!" she whimpered, hugging her legs close. "They said... they said I was a disappointment... that I was weak... and... and useless!"

A frown quickly graced Nick's features, "Your family doesn't hate you," he said with confidence. He sat down on the bed next to her, adamant about comforting her. He knew that he had dropped the ball over the past few hours, but he planned to rectify that. "Your family loves you and they eagerly wait to have you back."

"But... but... they're right!" she sobbed, covering her eyes with her paws. "With Hyenas... spotted ones anyways... females are stronger than males. They're supposed to be tough, and I was supposed to be the best! But now I'm... I'm just a weak, stupid, submissive failure!"

"The best? What made you the best? And how does your current situation not make you such, even now?" Nick asked. "The way I see it, the fact that you've given me, of all animals, hope, after what you've gone through, does not make you weak. The fact that you have an IQ sixty points, or more, above my own, does not make you stupid. The fact that you fought with a jaguar twice your own weight does not make you submissive. The fact that you refused to give up on Carrots, even when I did, does not make you a failure... Spots... the way I see it, you're the exact opposite of these things."

"But... but... I was supposed to take over for my mom. I was ready to do what she did. But then I lost them... and they gave me this collar... I am weak... I used to be so much stronger, even as a child... now... if someone was going to threaten to hurt me... I've always broken down and begged them not to with tears in my eyes... I'm... I am... weak... and... and... submissive... all I care about... is pleasing you," she said shakily, pointing her paw at Nick.

"Shenzi..." Nick trailed off, unsure of what to say. But he swallowed softly, he had to comfort her, and said, "It's not your fault that you were blamed for a crime you didn't commit. This world is a bit fucked up... and sometimes good, strong people pay for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Shenzi, I doubt you were stronger as a child. As you looked up at the sky with hope and naivety, you've grown since then, you've suffered since then, and even if you think you're a bit broken... you're not a failure. And you never need to think that you need to please me, I'm always, and I mean always, going to be proud of you, happy for you, pleased with you."

Shenzi sniffed. His words didn't make her feel much better. The nightmare… still haunted her. "I... I'm sorry Nice Fox... I..." she flicked her ears. "It's just like you said. I'm... broken. In teensy little pieces."

"We're all a bit broken inside, Spots. I guess I'm damaged now too..." he sighed. "Would it make you feel better if I let you sleep in Carrots' spot? I can't seem to fall asleep without someone there..." he gave her a slight smile.

"Sleep with you? In Nice Carrot's spot?" she asked.

"Yeah! I could really use some company, and I think you could too..." he explained.

"Uh... all right..." she said, trying to wipe some of her tears away. She wasn't sure how sleeping with Nice Fox would make her feel better… but she would give it a shot. She got up and followed Nick into his bedroom, getting into the bed. She made sure to leave the Nice Fox the most room.

"I'm a small little fox, Spots, I won't allow you to hang off the bed like that," he sighed, partially in defeat. It would be a bit strange, as Judy had the exact opposite problem. She liked to smother him in his sleep, though it was not necessarily unwelcome.

"Umm... okay," she said, scooching closer to the center. She let out a sigh, and closed her eyes again. Nick copied the sigh, finally feeling that little bit of comfort that he lacked. She wasn't Judy, but he was so exhausted that it was enough. His eyes shut as he drifted off to sleep.

XXX

Wolfgang passed the hyena on his way to Judy's room... or his room. Same thing. "Uh... Miss Hyena, didn't I ask you to stay with her?" he asked.

The hyena paused. "Oh yeah…" she trailed off. "Right then." She turned around and prepared to head back to Judy's room. Or Wolfgang's room… same thing.

"No, don't bother," he said, halting her in her step. "I was heading in that direction anyways, I suppose I shall stay with her then... did you chain her to something?"

"I figured she should be secured... yes," she nodded in confirmation.

He placed his hand against his forehead. "In the future... don't tie her to anything. It's just a precaution that mother insisted on, I do not plan on making it a burden on her. You should know how I feel about collars, considering what I did to yours," he sighed.

"Oh... well, pardon me... I just figured that if she managed to escape and warn that fox then... it would all come to naught. But I'm sorry, I will refrain from doing so in the future," she said.

The wolf heaved a sigh. It wouldn't have mattered, she would've been gunned down by the snipers on the roof... and he would have to start all over again. Rabbits were hard to come by. "Please do," was his only response as he walked away. The hyena only shook her head and headed in the other direction. She still had work to do.

Wolfgang made his way towards their shared room. He made his way into the room and was met with Judy tugging on the chain, trying to free herself. Judy heard the door open, and she turned to see the white wolf enter. Sighing in defeat, she dropped the chain and flopped onto her bed.

"Were you enjoying yourself?" he asked, ghost of a smirk on his face. He didn't enjoy seeing her struggle with the chain, but he was curious to see if she would beg for him to untie her.

"No," she replied, scowling. She had managed to shove her thoughts of despair away, and had turned her thoughts to escape. If she could... she had to. Even if… even if he threatened to take another, or he threatened to kill Nick… if she could warn the ZPD in time, he would be done for.

He approached her, an odd glint in his eye. "Do you wish me to untie you? All you have to do is ask..."

Judy blinked. She hadn't expected him to offer to let her go like that. "Y-yes!" she said, a glimmer of hope flaring up.

He remained impassive. "However... would untying you really make you seem any more free than you already are? Wouldn't untying you provide you with the illusion that you can escape? Would it not be more kind to keep you tied here, preventing you from having that reality crashing down upon you?"

Judy frowned, and looked down. "Maybe," she sighed. "I guess it's... kinder, as you put it. Oh whatever, I'm going to be listening to you for the rest of my life... a-anyways." She couldn't help but get choked up as she said that last part.

"Well, I won't exactly be giving you orders. It'll be no different than any other marriage, really. When my mother passes, you can have more freedom, you can leave the house when you wish, you can do as you wish, to an extent. Is it any different from a regular marriage if I come running for you each time you're gone for too long?" he was almost feeling sorry for her... check that. He did feel sorry for her, and for himself. It was too late, however.

"Oh, fuck you!" Judy snarled. "A real marriage?!"

"Yes. Name one thing that will be different, besides how we met or how you seem to have no other choice. Go on," he crossed his arms in challenge.

"There is just one teeny, tiny difference, yes," Judy growled, looking him in the eye.

"And?" he asked calmly.

"There-" she waved her arms in between them. "Is absolutely no love, no care between us. And one more thing - a normal relationship can divorce."

"Arranged marriages, Miss Hopps, have no love between them. They are not decided by those who are wed, and in most cases, they cannot get a divorce either. Though perhaps not normal, our marriage can be considered arranged," he explained. He sat down on his bed, watching her carefully. "My offer still stands, Miss Hopps."

"Your offer?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"To untie you. No matter how pointless it seems... is it worth it to lose hope? All you have to do is remain by my side and nothing will happen to you. Once we are wed, mother is dead, and my siblings back off... you can have the freedom you desire... even if you remain bound to me," he said.

"Humph. Fuck off," she said, lying down in the bed, trying to not think about what he said.

 _Such a foul mouth..._ he sighed internally. "Very well then. Cling to your idealistic fantasy. I refuse to make this hell for you, as you can very easily make this hell for me. Goodnight, Miss Hopps," he flicked off the lights and turned over so that his back was to hers. Even if she was willing to sleep in the same bed as him, he knew it meant nothing. And she knew it too.

Judy sighed. "Goodnight," she hissed. He made no attempt to respond to her, electing to remain silent as the two of them drifted off to sleep.

XXX

 **We learn a lot here. We're introduced to several key characters as well. We get to meet Wolfgang, a dangerous crime lord who needs to marry in order to receive his inheritance. He took Judy (by accident) and decided she'd fit the bill well enough. We get to see Judy break here, just a little bit, but manage to recover and remain strong. The next few chapters are going to be divided between Nick and Shenzi, trying to find Judy and save her, and Judy and Wolfgang. Whether or not Judy will break… well, you'll just have to stay tuned to find out!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – The Caged Bird Sings:

Author's Note:

 **Last chapter we got to see a bit of interaction between Nick and Shenzi, he's a bit damaged, but she managed to keep his spirits up. And now, of course, starts their frantic search for Judy. Who, of course, is being forced to marry the white wolf, Wolfgang. She held strong in the face of adversity last chapter… I wonder when (or if) she'll start to crack. Let's find out… please, enjoy!**

XXX

Shenzi opened her eyes and blinked as she adjusted to the light. She stretched and kicked the blankets off her. She let out a small grin, she couldn't remember the last time she slept on a real bed and not on the floor or a couch bed.

Nick had already gotten up. He was in the living room, flipping through television channels and scrolling through articles on his laptop when Shenzi walked in. "Hey, Spots! Sleep well?" he grinned, only sparing her a single glance before he went back to his laptop.

"Yeah... I slept well Nice Fox... thank you," she said, smiling sweetly.

"That's great! I've been up for a few hours now, I didn't want to wake you," he said, gesturing to all the things laid out before him. "We've got a lot of work to do today so I wanted a head start."

"What are we doing today?" she asked, sitting down on the couch next to him.

"I saw the bastards that took her, Spots," he growled, gesturing towards two pieces of paper on the coffee table. "I may not be the most amazing artist, but I got a decent enough look at their faces… and I sketched what I could. When we get to the precinct, I'm going to need you to run through the entire databank looking for anyone who looks like these two."

She nodded slowly as he continued, "They were driving an unmarked black van, so there's no way to trace them with that, but I think that if we can find them in the databanks then we have a pretty good starting point. Then we can go and visit Gerry and see if he might know who they work for… why they want Judy… and where they might be."

"So, we're going to find Nice Carrots?" she asked innocently.

"Yes… we're going to find Nice Carrots, if it's the last thing we do," he sighed. He shut his laptop and turned off the television. He leaned back into the couch with a groan, he had not slept well last night. Shenzi was a good substitute for Judy… but it had only gotten him three hours of sleep. "There's still that small… insignificant detail of telling everyone what happened," he mumbled to himself.

"Is… is it time to go?" she asked, seeing that he seemed to have finished whatever it was he was doing on his laptop.

"Yeah. I Just need to get my uniform on," he explained, pushing himself off the couch. She watched him walk back towards his room when she looked down at herself. _Oh… I should probably change too,_ she realized that she was wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

The duo finished changing for the day at the same time, before they set out for the precinct, shutting and locking the door behind them. They made it the precinct a few minutes before Nick's shift started, but he hesitated before stepping through the doors. Shenzi, however, kept moving forward, oblivious to his fears, causing him to shake his head and rush to catch up to her.

They were greeted by Clawhauser at the front desk. "Hey Nick!" the cheerful cheetah said, smile on his face, and donut held gingerly in his claws.

 _Oh boy, here we go,_ Nick grumbled under his breath. This was going to be harder than he thought. "Hey, Clawhauser," he greeted in return, offering a small wave. He almost wanted to walk right by him and skip straight to Bogo. Once the chief got the story, he would tell it to everyone else. The less times he had to repeat this... the better.

"What's up?" the cheetah asked, sensing the fox's distress, and stuffing that donut in his mouth. "And where's Judy?"

Nick hesitated, glancing up at Shenzi for a moment, to which she only gave a nervous smile. This wasn't easy for her either. "She was taken, Clawhauser. Taken by someone, and I'm going to find out who," he growled, holding back tears. He would not cry in front of the donut-eating cop. Maybe in front of Bogo, but not Clawhauser.

"T-taken? Uh... are you here to see Bogo?" he asked, worry evident in his voice. Judy was his friend, to hear that she had been kidnapped… was devastating to the large feline. So much so that he forgot completely about his other donuts.

"We are, and if you wanna hear about it, you should probably come to the Bullpen when he tells everyone what's going on... cause I'm only giving this story once. That's all I can take," his voice dropping to nothing more than a whisper by the time he reached the end.

"I'm sure I'll hear the whole story eventually... well, good luck Nick." Clawhauser, as they walked past. Nick had to hold back a snort, the lazy cheetah didn't want to leave his desk.

"Thank you, Clawhauser," Nick sighed as he moved passed him and towards Bogo's office.

Chief Bogo was in his office, reading the morning paper, when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," he said, not looking up.

"Sir," Nick greeted stiffly, stepping into the office with Shenzi trailing behind him. He would have sent her off to the archives immediately... but he wanted her here when he told Bogo.

"Wilde," Bogo said, looking up, "What is it?"

Nick couldn't help himself, "I don't know chief... notice anything missing?"

Bogo blinked as he scanned the room. There _was_ something… or someone missing. "Well... where is Hopps?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. _God… this is tough,_ he thought before finally saying, "She was taken, chief. Stuffed into a sack and thrown into the back of an unmarked, black van. We had... uh, infiltrated a black market in Savannah square and had hunted down our jewel thief, she left to go and get handcuffs, Shenzi and I took the jaguar down, and I went to go and see where she went... only to see a lion and a tiger assaulting her... and kidnapping her." His voice became more and more strangled the further he went. But, to his credit… he didn't cry. "I watched her go... unable to do anything."

"What!" Bogo exclaimed, standing so quickly his chair toppled over. "One of our officers - one of our best officers was kidnapped?!" He gave Nick an incredulous look, while Shenzi took an instinctive step back at his outburst.

Nick ground his teeth together and nodded angrily. "I'm afraid so, sir," was the only answer he could offer.

"Well…" Bogo trailed off. This had never happened before. _No one_ was stupid enough to kidnap a cop… at least he had _thought_ as much. "Have you got any leads? Any anything? Do you need resources? You'll get them!" Bogo growled, fury written across his face. He _couldn't believe_ officer Hopps… Judy had been kidnapped.

Nick let out a sigh, "We have a few leads. I saw the lion and tiger who took them and got a sketch of them. Shenzi's going to go through the databanks and pick out anyone who looks like the sketch. I also have a contact at the black market who may be able to tell me something. Other than that, we have nothing... hopefully by the end of the day we'll have a bit more, chief."

"Very well. Remember Wilde - if you need anything, you'll get it. I will not tolerate one of our own cops being kidnapped," he growled, picking up, and sitting back down onto his chair. He let out a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He had not expected such bad news today. Now he had to figure out the best way to inform the precinct.

"Of course, sir. When the time comes to get her back, I'm sure we'll need a lot," Nick said, backing out of Bogo's office, Shenzi following behind him. "That went well," Nick sighed as the door shut.

"He's helping us… so, I would say it did," she noted.

"Well, I didn't have any doubts he would help us, I was just worried he would overreact... and panic. That would've gone badly," he said. "In any case, I'll show you to a computer where you can access the databanks... I have something else to do while you do that."

Shenzi nodded, as Nick led her towards his and Judy's office. Two desks sat on either side of the room, one slightly larger than the other. Nick sat her down at his desk, her squeezing uncomfortably into his small chair. But she didn't complain.

"Find all tigers and lions that look like these two," he said, booting up the computer, and handing her the pictures, "and see what sort of priors they have. When you're finished, go to the last room down this hallway," Nick explained. "I'll be there until you finish." And with that, he walked away.

She nodded to herself as the computer's screen lit up. Her paws hovered over the keyboard, but she paused when she remembered something important. She didn't know how to work a computer. _Er…_ her mind trailed off as she stared at the screen, completely lost for what to do.

She stood quickly from the desk, the chair being lifted into the air, before dropping back to the floor as she stood. She ran to the door and looked around frantically, trying to spot the Nice Fox. To her growing horror… she couldn't find him. He was gone. She didn't want to abandon her job before it was complete, on the off-chance Nick would be upset at her. After all... he sounded like he was doing something important.

So, she stood in the office doorway, trying not to panic, mostly failing. That's when a friendly-looking wolf cop passed her by, and she decided to take a chance. There was no one else, and she hoped the cop wouldn't yell at her. "Uh... excuse me?" Shenzi called, looking at the wolf as he passed her by.

The timber wolf halted in his step and turned slightly to look at her with a raised eyebrow. He didn't recognize this hyena... and she wasn't wearing an officer's uniform. "Yes?" he asked carefully.

"Uh... could you..." she swallowed audibly. "Help me? I don't know how to do something that I'm supposed to do."

The wolf nodded and she led him into the office. She sat down at Nick's desk, once again squeezing into the chair, causing the wolf to grin just a bit. "What are you trying to do?" he asked.

"Uh… the Fox asked me to find out who these animals were," she said, showing him the composites.

"Officer Wilde?" the wolf asked when she said 'Fox.' He glanced at the sketches and realized what she wanted. "You need into the police databanks, don't you?"

"Uh... yeah, I think so," she replied, remembering what the Nice Fox had told her.

The wolf hummed to himself as he leaned over Shenzi to get to the keyboard. He pulled up the databanks program and typed in his keyword, giving her access. He pulled back and said, "There you go. I don't know how you plan to find them based off these sketches. There are thousands of animals in that database..." Usually they searched based on name, but the hyena only had pictures.

"Oh... uh… I hadn't thought of that," she mumbled, her ears dropping.

"Well... let's narrow down your search options. Let's see..." the wolf said softly, glancing once again at the two composites she had. He clicked a few buttons and typed in several keywords. The screen separated and he said, "There ya go. On this side is every single tiger criminal we've got, and on the other side is every single lion one. Now you only have about a hundred to go through." He gave her another smile.

"Thank you," Shenzi said, smiling sweetly.

"No problem," the wolf said. "Hey, what's your name? I've never seen you around here before." It was at that point the wolf noticed the collar around her neck. He seemed to remember Bogo saying something about officers Wilde and Hopps getting a collared assistant... was she the one?

"My name is Shenzi. The Fox is my contractor," she said, turning back to be computer, and scrolling through faces.

"Oh, uh, I'm officer Wolfard," the wolf smiled. He glanced at a clock on the wall, he had time. "Do you need anything else? I'm on a lunch break at the moment."

"Could you help me look?" Shenzi asked, not looking away from the computer.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Wolfard said, glancing at the pictures again. He doubted he could keep up with her, she was scrolling so quickly, he could barely even make out the faces before they were gone. How was she managing this? "What's this all for, anyways?"

"These two animals," Shenzi pointed at the picture, "Kidnapped the bunny. The Fox wants to find them so he can get her back."

Wolfard's eyes went wide. "Officer Hopps was kidnapped!" he practically yelled. Her ear flicked as she flinched from his tone, glancing at him, wondering if he was angry.

"Uh... yeah," she said, turning back to the computer. He didn't seem angry… just concerned, like the Nice Fox. "The Fox said he was at the end of the hall… I think he's talking to more officers." She gestured with her thumb towards the doorway.

Wolfard thought for a moment as he realized what room she was talking about. "Shenzi… that's the firing range. Oh dear…" he trailed off.

"What's a firing range?" she asked.

"It's where you practice firing guns," he explained. "He must be pretty pissed if he's at the firing range... he's one of the best shots on the force, it's not like he needs practice."

"Oh... I wonder why he's doing it, then," she pondered aloud, as she scanned the faces. He was about to answer her, but her eyes went wide as she pointed at the screen. "There!" she exclaimed. She paused and hardly a few second later, she put the tiger next to it. "These are the ones!"

"Well that was fast..." Wolfard mumbled. He held up the two pieces of paper next to their respective faces, and sure enough, they seemed to be a match. "Priors, kidnapping, murder, and theft on the lion… kidnapping, slave trade on the tiger. How did they manage to get out of prison?" He almost added _without collars,_ but decided against that little detail with the collared hyena beside him.

"I don't know, but Fox will like this!" she grinned. She made note of their names on the pieces of paper and stood to walk away.

"I'm sure he will..." he said as she walked away. He hesitated, but decided to follow her. If officer Wilde was looking for officer Hopps, then he'd need all the help he could get.

Shenzi made it to the end of the hall and entered the room. She paused at the size before slapping her paws over her ears. Loud _bangs_ echoed throughout the large room as she searched for the fox. Spotting him near the end of the room, she called out as loudly as she could, "Nice Fox!"

Nick didn't respond, as he was wearing ear protection, so she decided to race towards him. But she was stopped when Wolfard grabbed her shoulder. "He's a bit busy at the moment!" Wolfard called out over the loud bangs. She gave him a confused look and glanced back over at Nick.

A look of intense concentration graced his face as he fired down range with his pistol. He was oblivious to the world around him as he pulled the trigger carefully, making sure each of his shots would go where he wanted them to. "Wait until he's finished!" Wolfard suggested loudly, letting go of her shoulder.

Shenzi nodded slowly. She had felt her heart race when he had grabbed her. But it was okay, she thought he was a Nice Wolf. He wouldn't hurt her.

Nick finished his clip, setting the gun down and taking off the earmuffs. He turned around to see that he had company. "Shenzi... Wolfard?" he asked when he noticed his comrade in blue next to his charge.

"Hey, man, I heard about officer Hopps," the wolf said solemnly, dipping his head ever so slightly in respect.

"Don't worry about it. We'll get her back… and soon," Nick growled resolutely.

"I have what you wanted... I found out who the lion and tiger were," Shenzi said, handing him the composites with the names written on them.

"That's great! That can only help us when..." he glanced at Wolfard for a moment. Technically, he had decided against sharing that he had a black market informant, to protect himself and his informant, so he was cautious to reveal to Wolfard where they would be going. "When we visit that friend of mine..." he finished.

"Okay!" she responded, cheery smile on her face. Nick folded the two pieces of paper and shoved them into his pocket. He grabbed his gun and holstered it before turning and walking out of the room, Shenzi following close behind him.

Wolfard just watched them go. "No Wolfard, we don't need your help, you can go back to work," he muttered to himself, "We'll just leave you alone here in the firing range, completely confused, and looking like an idiot." He sighed and went back to work, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that told him he knew where Judy was.

XXX

Nick drove towards the square once again. He stopped near the building with the market in it, and started to change clothes. He stripped off his cop uniform, but kept his badge and gun on him, though hidden, and put on a simple button up shirt with a tie. He passed Shenzi her niqab, and said when he noticed her confused expression, "You've already worn it around him once... he's going to notice if you're missing it."

"Okay," she nodded, putting the getup on. She didn't like it much, it was hot and restricted her vision. But Nice Fox said it was necessary.

"Oh, and take this too," he said, pulling another pistol out from the back of the cruiser. It was the same make and model as his, however it was much bigger. Perfect for Shenzi's larger paws. "Just... be careful with that," he said as he handed it to her. It was for her own sake. He did, however, make a mental note to teach her how to properly fire a gun some time. Especially if she was going to keep carrying one.

"Uh… all right," she replied hesitantly, taking, and hiding the firearm within the folds of her disguise. The duo made their way into the market once more, taking the same elevator, and walking past the same wolf sitting at the front desk.

"Same rules as last time apply. We'll ask Gerry about the lion and tiger," Nick explained as they made their way into the main room of the market, "and if he gets squirrelly... then we'll show him that we're serious." He patted his concealed weapon. She nodded as they continued to walk passed the dirty-looking stands, heading straight for Gerry's.

Shenzi hated the market. It was loud, it was dirty, and it was mean. Nice Carrots had disappeared here, and that wasn't nice. Plus, all these animals looked like they could hurt her. Like they _wanted_ to hurt her. She nearly tripped as she thought of that, but she caught herself before anyone could notice.

They walked quickly and quietly to Gerry's booth. "Gerry," Nick greeted coarsely.

The possum looked up. "Hey! Nick!" he said sleazily, leaning onto his chair. "What's up, my friend? I wasn't expecting to see ya again so soon!"

"Hey, Gerry... look, um, I need your help," Nick said. Gerry was a friend, even if he was a bit sleazy, and a good informant. He didn't want to screw this up and end up taking the possum to jail.

"Sure, sure. What might you need Nicky?" Gerry asked. "An appraisal? I can do that,"

"Actually, I'm wondering if you happen to know these two animals," Nick said, passing over the pictures.

"Eh?" he said, looking over the pictures and the names provided. "What for?"

"They happened to have _taken_ something from me," Nick hissed, grinding his teeth together. He didn't want to treat Judy like property, he didn't own her, but Gerry thought he did.

"Like... what?" Gerry asked, taken aback at Nick's fury. The fox was an unusually calm individual, hardly ever getting angry. _Though,_ the possum thought to himself, _that's likely because he's always so confident._

"They took Judy," Nick growled. He didn't notice immediately that he had slipped up and given Gerry her name.

"Oh, you mean your rabbit slave? I didn't see her with you and I figured you sold her," Gerry replied.

"I thought I said I wasn't selling," Nick hissed. "She was my favorite, Gerry, more than _just a slave_ if you know what I mean. And these two _assholes_ took her!"

"Oh... this is about revenge!" the possum grinned, now understanding why Nick was so angry. "Well, for the record I don't really like these two so... I'll do you a favor! Zach and Cody, they work for a crime lord called Wolfgang. He's a nasty one too. Extremely dangerous."

"Tell me everything there is to know about Wolfgang... and if possible, where I can find Cody and Zach. They're first on my hit list," Nick growled, rubbing his temples. He didn't mean to have an outburst like that in front of Gerry.

"Wolfgang lives in a mansion on the south side, I don't know exactly which one. He's a nasty one, and isn't afraid to do his own dirty work, but he usually sends Zach and Cody here to the market for him. And, most interestingly, he's about to inherit the one of the largest criminal empires there is. I heard he had to get married first or something. I wonder who the lucky she-wolf is," Gerry chuckled, as he remembered all he could about Wolfgang.

Nick took a deep breath, that's not good. He didn't have good luck with crime lords. But... then again, he did happen to know a crime lord who was in Judy's favor. Maybe... he stored that thought away for later. "It doesn't make any sense, though. Why take my slave? I haven't done anything to Wolfgang... I've never even heard of him!" Nick sighed. Not to mention the fact that Judy didn't know him either. Unless they had accidentally shut down a few of his operations, there seemed to be no reason to kidnap her.

"What about Zach and Cody? I want to speak to them too," Nick growled. Speak… interrogate… possibly kill, he wasn't sure yet.

"Them? Who knows where they live. But they visit the market often, so you can ask them when next they arrive," the possum said.

"Thanks, man," Nick sighed. "Look, I got a new phone, I need you to call me the next time you see them and I'll be here as quickly as possible. I can't just waste my days away here, like you," he smirked. Gerry returned the grin and pulled out a small slip of paper for Nick to write his number down on.

"Got it," the possum grinned as he turned back to his inventory, tucking the number away for later use. Nick nodded to Shenzi and the two turned to leave the market.

XXX

Wolfgang had woken up early and left Judy in the room alone. He had work to do. Her eyes fluttered open to find him missing, but she did spot the hyena standing near the door, grumbling to herself. Judy sat up and got the hyena's attention. "About damn time you woke up. There's nowhere to sit in this room, I've been standing here for an hour and a half," she sighed.

"You could have simply woken me up," Judy yawned loudly, stretching as she did.

"Wolfgang was very specific: do not wake you," the hyena said. "And then he had the nerve to promise to bring me a chair! He forgot about me…"

"Well... I'm sorry about that," Judy said as the hyena unlocked the chain from the headboard, allowing her to stand and hop off the bed.

"Eh, he's a busy wolf. Lots to do and everything, especially with the wedding coming up," the hyena sighed.

"Oh yeah... the wedding," Judy rolled her eyes in frustration.

"Yeah. He also said something about that too... uh... if you want any say in it, you should come to lunch in an hour to discuss it with him," she shrugged. "I guess he's willing to do it all himself, but if you wanna do something, you can."

"Oh... well I guess I'd better talk with him then. I guess I'm only going to get… one chance at a wedding," Judy sighed, starting to feel dejected.

The hyena nodded, "Yeah, he figured you'd say that. I was supposed to help you prepare for lunch with him."

"Prepare how?" Judy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh... shower, toothbrush... dress, assorted makeup, depending on your preference," the hyena listed on her fingers. "I think he said something about a notebook, but I can't remember why..."

"Oh yeah... I guess he wants me to be pretty," Judy sighed. "But I'll take the notebook... I can write ideas in that."

"And that would be why. Uh... he didn't use the word pretty... he just said presentable. Again, I think he's giving you a lot of freedom with how you chose to dress yourself," the hyena shrugged.

"Did he happen to mention makeup?" Judy asked. "As one of the things?"

"He said if you wished upon it, his mother would be willing to share," the hyena explained.

"Oh... well, I sure won't be using that if he doesn't have any for rabbits," Judy mumbled.

"Uh... I think he means his father's 'collection' that was taken by his mother," she said, using air quotes around the word collection.

Judy thought for a moment. _Why would I even consider it?_ she managed to wonder, but her cursed tongue spoke out, "Maybe I'll take a little. Just to try it out."

The hyena shrugged, "Wolfgang seemed to only want to present you with as many options as possible. In any case... I'll lead you to the master bathroom."

"All right," Judy sighed, as the hyena grabbed ahold of her chain and led her through the hallways, towards the master bathroom. Why it was so far away from what she assumed to be Wolfgang's room, she had no clue.

They arrived at a magnificent bathroom, one more lavish than Judy could have imagined. She brushed her teeth and took a shower, then chose a dress from the selection the hyena had brought while she was washing herself. It was pink, with a tight skirt.

"Could you… um… help with the makeup?" Judy asked. "I've never done anything like this before," she admitted when she saw the hyena's raised eyebrow. Miss Hyena relented, helping her apply the makeup.

Satisfied with her appearance, she looked up at the hyena and asked, "Off to lunch?" She just wanted to get this over with. _It could be worse,_ a small voice in the back of her mind argued, but she paid it no heed. She didn't _want_ to marry a wolf… least of all that white bastard!

"Yes... right on time too," the hyena gave her a smile and led her to the dining hall where Wolfgang was already sitting at the head of the table, munching on something. He had a laptop nearby and several notebooks, as well as a few pencils. "Oh, here you go, by the way, the notebook," the hyena said, handing Judy a notebook and a pen. Wolfgang did not notice them come in, as he was too busy staring intently at the screen.

Judy ground her teeth as she walked up to him, carrying the chain. Miss Hyena had been kind enough not to lead her here by the chain, but it was still heavy and if she didn't carry it, it would drag against the ground. She hopped up onto the seat that he had occupied the night before and slammed the chain against the hard wood of the table, announcing her presence with a loud _clang!_ "Hey... fuckface," she growled.

He glanced up at her, "That's rude, don't you think? I didn't force you to come here, you brought yourself." He looked back at his laptop and moved the mouse around before clicking on something.

She rolled her eyes. He very much _had_ forced her to come here. "So... you're planning our..." Judy swallowed so she wouldn't choke on her next words. "Wedding?"

"We only have three days, so I've been devoting all my time towards it. Now, the main question I want to pose is, although you showing up practically announces it, how much influence do you want to have on this? I am more than willing to do this all myself, and after it's all done and done, let you coast through it without a hitch," he explained.

Judy looked down at her lap. "Well... I've only got one chance at a wedding... just… let me make it special for me... even if the main event won't be," she said softly. She knew there was no running from this… this was the only way to exert her will on Wolfgang. And… if that would make living through this easier… she would have to take it.

Wolfgang let out a sigh, "To be fair, I never was much of a fan of weddings... I never attended my brother's wedding when he married. We have a big budget, and I have no idea what I'm doing, so it would actually be helpful if you pitched in. Go wild." He turned the laptop around and handed her his notebooks. "This is everything that I've compiled over the past few hours."

He looked up at the hyena still standing there with her arms crossed. "Do you wish Miss Hyena to stay here with us, or would you rather she goes to work on something else?" he asked Judy, who was looking through the notebooks.

"I don't care," she muttered, as she looked over at the laptop, as the notebooks were largely unhelpful.

Wolfgang shrugged, "You're excused, Miss Hyena." The hyena nodded and left the room. "What would you like for lunch, Miss Hopps?"

"I usually have a salad," she replied, hardly paying attention to him. She pulled the laptop in front of her and started to search the internet for flowers.

"Very well then," he said, getting up from his seat and walking away, presumably towards the kitchen. Judy did her best to ignore the fact that he was gone… there were no guards in the room. _Arrogant bastard,_ she growled internally. He knew that she wouldn't run. She concentrated on the computer instead, selecting the flowers. Nice blue ones.

After the order had been placed, she started looking for a bakery to make the cake. She had never planned a wedding before, but she knew generally what to do. It only took a few minutes for Wolfgang to come back with her requested salad. He set it down in front of her and gave her a fork as well. "Making any progress? I've been rather stuck on quite a few details..." he mumbled.

"I ordered flowers. A lot of flowers. Pretty blue ones," she said. "Now we need to choose a bakery for the cake."

He nodded, "Well you clearly know what you're doing." He sat there and watched her as she continued to search through the internet for that cake. His nostrils flared when he caught her scent... and that's when he noticed something. "Hey... are you wearing makeup?" he asked. He had added that part as a joke, wondering how she would react to it. He hadn't expected her to go for it. And... she was wearing perfume too.

"Huh?" she looked up at the wolf. "Oh, yeah I am. I had the hyena help me, I've never done it before. How do I look?" she asked, not truly caring about his opinion.

Wolfgang's mind ran a mile a minute, trying to think of a word to describe her appearance. He could think of none. "It really suits you," he gave her a smile, though he cursed himself internally. _That's never happened before,_ he growled to himself.

"Whatever," she muttered. "Now anyways... how big can the cake be?"

"However big you want it... like I said, we have a large budget. I have no idea how many people are going to be there outside of us, mother, my siblings, and their partners... maybe Miss Hyena, but other than that, I have no idea," he shrugged, "So bigger is better, I suppose."

"Small wedding," she remarked.

"Well, I don't have many friends," he admitted.

"Oh well. Anyways, I'm getting the biggest cake possible. If we get elephants to make it, it'll be big enough for the two of us to stand on top... you know, like the cliché. Usually it's two plastic figures, but we could do it... it would look nice," she said.

Wolfgang chuckled, "Whatever you wish, Miss Hopps. Clichés never bothered me. Oh, I nearly forgot about security... they'll want some cake as well." He didn't mention that he doubted the cake would be large enough to support _his_ weight.

"If it's that big, there will be enough," she said, as she typed in the required dimensions of the cake onto a bakery's website.

"Indeed," he agreed. "What's next?"

"Well... a band, or someone to play music in the background. Something nice," she said.

"What do you have in mind... music wise, I mean. We can afford the best of anything."

"I want them to play something nice... something soft. I had always imagined that at my wedding there would be something romantic in the background as I... as I... as I danced with my... partner," her ears sagged.

"That seems... doable," the wolf said. "I had wondered if we could rent out an orchestral arrangement. It might be a bit large, but we'll just find a place with plenty of space. I'm sure they'll be willing to play whatever you wish." He smiled softly.

"Will we dance together?" Judy asked quietly.

Wolfgang took a deep breath, "If you wish to dance, then we shall dance. I have no doubt my mother will wish upon a dance... but I won't force you to do anything..."

"At least there's that," Judy sighed. "I always liked dancing..."

"And I am quite good at it," Wolfgang admitted, "If you wish to dance, then dance we shall."

"Good. It'll be nice," she muttered, her demeanor downcast as she turned back to the computer.

"After the music, what's next?" he asked, taking note of her sudden shift in attitude. It felt terribly wrong forcing her into this, and yet he had no choice. It was too late for either of them.

"Well... my dress," she said.

"Very well then. Pick out whatever you wish... unless you want Miss Hyena to help," he suggested.

"Do you have wedding dresses?"

He snorted, "For wolves, not for rabbits. I was asking if you wanted Miss Hyena to help you select one online, or if you would rather, go and get a custom one tomorrow afternoon."

"Custom. I want mine to be as beautiful as they come... "she said.

Wolfgang smiled, "I had suspected as much. Very well, we'll come back to this tomorrow when you and Miss Hyena go to a tailor. I know a good one in the tundra district, he'll make you anything you ask." He gestured towards his suit, implying that it was custom.

"A beautiful white one..." Judy couldn't help the slight smile that rose on her face.

"Indeed," he returned the smile. Her smile made his heart flutter oddly, something he had never experienced before. But he shoved those feelings down deep, there was still work to be done. "Skipping the dress until tomorrow, what's next?"

"Other than the cake, music, flowers, and dress? Uh... well... usually... once a couple is pronounced wed... they-" Judy scowled, and looked down, "They kiss."

"And? I'm not sure we can get out of that one," he sighed.

"All right," she growled. "Fine. We'll kiss... like a happy couple..." her ears sagged again. "I suppose it's... tradition anyways. Even for rabbits."

"I apologize, but the will says it must be a 'true marriage.' Father knew I would attempt to wriggle out of as much of it as possible," he sighed. "But I do hope you end up happy anyways... even if you're stuck with me."

"Huh… happy," she snorted. There was _no_ happiness in this. There was _no_ happiness here. Clearly… he was delusional.

Wolfgang let out a loud sigh, "I know this isn't great... in fact, I might hate this even more than you do. The fact that we're going to have to live with this forever... makes death seem like an appropriate response. But I hope that you can at least find some peace in this. I will give you whatever you want... and maybe you never will be happy, so perhaps it is a bit arrogant of me to suggest it as a possibility... but I do hope you can be content. As I have elected to become."

"Why would you hate this even more than me?! It isn't your life that's being torn apart!" she snarled, glaring up into his eyes.

Wolfgang ground his teeth together, but let out a deep breath, anger vanishing from his features. "And I'm _sorry_ about that... completely and truly sorry. But my life is in shambles at the moment, as well. I was close to my father, he died not even a week ago, and my beloved mother is close behind. My siblings are vultures, waiting for me to fail so they can snatch up _my_ inheritance, then cast me out forever. I have a wedding to plan in three days, because mother could be _dead_ at any moment. I'm sorry, again, but I'm losing my mind... and it's all I can do not to take it out on the people around me," he said through clenched teeth.

"I'm being bound to a bunny I do not wish to marry to receive what is rightfully mine... and you have no idea how much it hurts to look at your pathetic displays of suffering and depression and not say: get out, go home, I can find someone else. Because I can't! And I don't have the time to," he admitted, returning her glare, though absent the same anger her eyes held.

"Oh yeah. That really puts what I'm going through into perspective," she muttered sarcastically.

"It doesn't, does it? Because our sufferings are completely different. I know you know I understand this. But the fact remains that _this is_ happening... and you're going to be a part of this, and so am I," he sighed. It was silent for a few minutes as he rubbed his temples.

"I'm a cop, you know. I took a solemn oath to protect this city. To protect its innocents. How am I supposed to do that... as the wife... of a crime lord?" she put her paws on her eyes, frowning sadly, willing the tears to remain at bay. _She would not cry in front of him._

Wolfgang stared at her for a moment, considering what to say. "Protect the innocents, huh?" he mumbled. "I can assure you, anyone I deal with is hardly innocent. I don't know what to say about your job, but we'll work something out... if this all goes well," he tacked on at the end.

"Huh. Aren't you the type who shoots innocents?" she mumbled.

He burst out laughing, "Oh, God no. Innocent isn't the word I would use to describe the animals I deal with. Do you know who I end up killing ninety percent of the time? Animals who don't pay their dues, Miss Hopps. Animals who rack up fines with me and expect to never have to pay me back... and I can be lenient. I _try_ to be lenient and give them all the time they need... but animals who take and take and don't give back aren't innocent. Killing them is staple of all crime syndicates, at the very least."

"Huh," she looked down at her lap. She hadn't expected that answer. "Wolfgang... how exactly... is this going to work between us?"

"I don't know..." he sighed. "I hope to give you the freedom you deserve, maybe Miss Hyena can keep you company. I still need to go over exactly what constitutes a 'true marriage' to see if there's anything else we need to do to prevent my siblings from bitching about it. But... God willing, after my mother dies, you can do mostly what you want."

"Yeah... but we're supposed to be equal partners... and we'll never be. Like... what is it you do, anyways? And what will I know about it?"

"Equal? In what way are we not equal? If, at the very least, you believe you're being treated unfairly, then I will do whatever's necessary to improve that... as for what I do... what do you want to know?" he said. It wasn't exactly a secret what he did, so he was a bit surprised a police officer wasn't aware of his dealings.

"I don't know. I just want to know what I'll be doing," she said softly. _Equal… does he really consider me equal?_ she wondered. But she didn't want to press that topic. At the very least, _he_ believed it.

"You'll be doing whatever you want, basically. If you want to go out all day with Miss Hyena, you may. If you wish to stay here, you may. If you wish to visit a friend, you may. Granted... I may have to take some precautions, depending on how much you wish to know about what I do, but overall, I doubt it'll effect you much," he shrugged. "The only real constraint is that you have to come back to me... as I will go looking for you if my siblings notice your extended absence."

"Huh? So, I'll go... wherever I want? Huh... what if I leave, go get Nick, and disappear? Or will I even be allowed to see him?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"As I said, if you disappear for an extended period of time... I _will_ find you. And if that's the way you're thinking about my _leniency_ , I will have bodyguards with you at all times, something I was willing to leave out, because you don't need them. But they won't be there for your protection, more as a precaution for you being gone too long. Miss Hyena will not fall under that category, as I know she will not drag you back to me after a long day out," he said sternly. "As for your friend Nick, your fellow officers at the precinct, and your job... these are subjects that we will discuss, at length, after we have been successfully wed."

"Will you ever let me see him?" Judy asked quietly.

"I might be talked into letting him drop by every once and awhile, but only after the wedding," he said, equally quietly.

"Okay," she muttered. At least… at least there was a possibility she could see Nick.

"I will do my best to prevent this from being a burden in the future... but first thing must come first. What do we need next for the wedding?" he asked, small smile gracing his mouth.

"Well… drinks... and a photographer... so we can... remember that moment... forever," she said, her voice cracking.

"Drinks... let's start there. Any photographer can be hired, we'll just need to find the right one, drinks are a bit more difficult," he sighed.

"Drinks... wine. Something really strong... so I can enjoy what is supposed to be the most beautiful day of my life..."

"I happen to know an excellent wine that's strong, as I'll need it too... hold on, I think I have some lying around in the kitchen," he walked off, leaving her alone again.

Judy sighed. Once again, she didn't let thoughts of escape brew in her mind. At least he wasn't cruel to her. Maybe… _no_. She wouldn't… she couldn't give in. Not yet. Just because he wasn't as _evil_ as he could be… _doesn't_ make him _good._

He returned in under a minute with two glasses and a bottle of half-empty wine. "I think my sister drank half of it before she left last night," he grumbled to himself, setting a glass down in front of her. He poured her a drink, and then one for himself.

"Thanks," she said, setting the glass aside.

"We'll worry about a photographer later, let's think about where we want to host this event," he said, swishing the wine around in the glass, but not drinking it yet.

"I don't care. Somewhere outside. In a field or something," she said.

"Like on the countryside? Outside of Zootopia? I think that would be nice," he said, finally taking a sip of the wine.

"Yeah... bunnies like the grass," she nodded in agreement. She didn't want it to be _anywhere_ near Zootopia.

"Wolves are more keen on forest... but I don't think a forest wedding would be the best idea. There happens to be a nice little place..." he trailed off, shifting the laptop over to him so that he could type on it, "Here that we could set up at. Surprisingly, it's free land, so we wouldn't have to pay for it." He handed the laptop back to her.

"Okay. I mean... that's nice," Judy said, "I... I'll enjoy it."

Wolfgang nodded to himself, "Is there anything else you can think of... I mean, invitations. Which will be a drag, but they can be saved for last."

"Who would be invite?" she asked drearily.

"Hmm... besides my family... is there anyone specific you would like to come? I mean, it would cause some complications, but I could pull some strings, as long as we aren't doing the wedding here," he mumbled. Maybe she would be happier if her family got to come.

"I... I don't want anyone to know," she said, her ears dropping once again. This… this was her _shame_. That, as a police officer, she was _captured_ and forced to marry someone. The less animals who knew, the better.

"That... seems reasonable. Though, you do know that there's a good chance everyone will end up finding out anyways, right?" he said softly. "I am a crime lord, and certain animals tend to pay attention..."

"I don't want anyone to know!" she shouted, slamming her tiny fist onto the table. "Except for Nick… "

"I cannot prevent the news from traveling down the grapevine. I can do my best to force others to be silent about it, preventing the general media from knowing. I will not stop you from telling whoever you want... are you sure you don't want your parents to know?" he asked.

"I don't... I don't want them to know... I don't... want them to know, that's all," she mumbled.

"Very well then," he all but whispered. He wasn't sure why she didn't want her family to at least know what was going on with her... it wasn't like he'd have to kill any of them. "Is it because I'm a wolf?" he asked quietly, "Or because of what I do for a living?" The way he saw it, her family didn't have to know about his occupation. But they would be interested to know their daughter was getting married.

"Because of what you do... that's why," she growled. How could he even think it had _anything_ to do with him being a wolf?

"You still aren't entirely sure what I do, are you?" he asked softly.

"No," she spat.

"Do you want to know?" he asked. "I will tell you, if you want to know. But if you don't want to know, and you want me to prevent you from ever finding out… you must promise to reserve judgement for what I do."

Judy thought for a moment. "I don't want to know. I don't want to have my principles compromised any further than they already are… just by marrying a criminal."

He snorted, "My siblings deal with worse things than I do… but when I take the throne, I will be responsible for them. If you still don't wish to know, then I expect you to uphold the agreement... and not judge me for it, even when I do take the throne."

"I'll uphold your stupid agreement," she growled, crossing her arms. "I have to anyways, don't I?"

He let out a deep sigh, "If you want to sit here and spout off about how much you hate me, fine. If you want to sit here and tell me how unfair this is to you, fine. If you want to sit here and tell me that, given the chance, you'd kill me in my sleep... fine. But we have a deal here, and I will not allow you to break that deal. If you mention, even once, how I'm a 'terrible being' because of what I do for a living... I will... do... something... drastic..."

"Oh yeah? Afraid of the truth?" Judy snarled.

"Is that a challenge?" he growled, finally breaking his calm demeanor, and glaring at her.

"Yeah! You said you've killed animals, and even if they themselves aren't clean, I'd bet it wasn't done with a trial. And that puts you outside of the law. Right along with every other lowlife I've locked up!" she shouted, scowl heavy on her face.

He sucked in a deep breath, before letting it out. He picked up the glass of wine that he had left sitting on the table, and drained it in a single gulp. "Challenge it is, then," he mumbled to himself. "I'm an arms dealer, Miss Hopps. I sell guns to those who want them at a fair price for no government restriction. The animals that I kill owe me a debt that is equal to that of their life. There is no need for a trial, as these animals would be sent directly to jail without so much as a lawyer. Some might even face death anyways. The fact that I'm skipping a step means nothing, Miss Hopps."

"It does when there is a system in place that must be upheld," she glared at him, throwing all the hatred she could muster at the wolf beside her.

"Perhaps..." the wolf admitted. "But the system has flaws as well. I don't kill cops on principle, I let them do their job and they typically leave me alone, though I can't say the same for my siblings. If you were to arrest me at this moment, I doubt they would convict me. Not because I'm wealthy, but because they have _nothing_ on me. Even if you had a recording of our conversation... they still would not convict me."

"I'm not saying I'm justified, I'm just saying they would be dead or worse either way. And, speaking of your _precious_ system, how can you even claim it to be fair?" he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"So what if it's flawed?! It's because of animals like you, animals who stomp upon the system, that it's flawed in the first place! And I'm going to do my best to uphold the system, because if animals with a conscience, animals like me, are in the rest of the system, then it will work!" she retorted.

"And in any case, I'm a cop! I swore to uphold the system, so good luck persuading me otherwise!" she shouted. There was _no one_ alive, or dead, who could convince her otherwise.

"What about the collars, Miss Hopps? What about them? You're protecting something that is inherently unjust! If anything... that makes you just as bad as me," he hissed. "I can afford to be lenient with animals. When I pull the trigger, you know that they would receive the same sentence, or worse, from any court of law. A quick, painless death by my paw is _infinitely_ better than being shackled by the collar system!"

"I'm working on that flaw right now. And it's only because of the demand for collar slaves that that part persists! You got one yourself through the system! So, fuck off, at least I'm trying - or... I was trying to fix it! What are you doing?" she demanded, staring back into his eyes, anger blazing beneath his amber orbs.

His eyes widened when he realized what she was saying. "For one thing... Miss Hyena's collar has been _deactivated._ And when mother dies, I will continue to deactivate the collars of every animal that works here. I also plan to shut down the _slave trade_ my sister runs, where each and every single animal she sells wears a collar... I am doing what I can, Miss Hopps," he said softly, lacking the anger it had before.

"I... hate the collars... I hate that you have to wear one too... it was all I could do not to make it electric. But you know I'm right... there are flaws in the system, and deep down, there's nothing you can do to fix them. Hell... I've tried," his voice dropped to nothing more than a whisper.

"Nothing we can do to fix them? I'll see about that." she growled, still angry at Wolfgang. Though… she did take note of his words. They… seemed genuine. But there was one way to find out… ask Miss Hyena herself.

"I've tried, Miss Hopps. I've lobbied, I've protested, I've even done a few things I'm not proud of to try and change the system. Short of slaughtering everyone who's for collared criminals, which happens to be a majority of the population by a wide margin, there's nothing we can do," he sighed.

"Maybe not right now... but little things stack up. Our children can have a better life if we do our best today," she said, finally allowing her fury to retreat. She didn't want to admit that he might be right. He _couldn't_ be right.

He stared at her, eyes wide when he heard what she said. "Children?" he choked out. "What?!"

Judy blinked, not understanding what was wrong. But her eyes widened when she realized what he had heard. "Oh jeez! That was just a phrase! I didn't mean anything by it! I meant the next generation of animals!" she said quickly.

His breathing returned to normal as he poured himself another glass of wine. "First... I doubt we'll be able to have children. Second... I don't plan on ever... doing... _that_... to... you..." he shook his head rapidly. That was the one thing he wanted to avoid the most.

"Well... thank you for that," she said, swallowing her embarrassment. If there was one saving grace… perhaps it was _that._

He breathed a sigh of relief. "I think we're done for today. My mind can't handle anymore of this and I have other things to do..." he looked at his watch, "And it's nearly five in the afternoon. I'll have Miss Hyena stay with you until it's time for dinner, thankfully, my brother won't be around, as he's a bit busy... but my sister will likely end up showing up again. Mostly for the wine."

"Okay… but can you at least take the chain off my collar?" she asked. Maybe… if he hated the collars as much as he said he did, he would at least remove the chain. "I don't want to be lead around like a pet."

"I'm afraid I cannot do that. Mother has forced my paw and wants you chained by my side at all times. I apologize once again, I hate it just as much as you do… but the collar will be coming off for the wedding," he sighed. "Miss Hyena!" he called out, knowing that she was waiting nearby, even though he had told her to go and work on something else.

The hyena emerged and walked into the room, giving a sarcastic curtsy, and saying, "Yes?" Wolfgang gestured to Judy, silently telling her to give the hyena an order.

"Uh... take me back to my room?" Judy tried. The hyena nodded and approached her. She grabbed the rabbit's chain in her paw and led her out of the dining room, towards her bedroom. They walked in silence until they reached the bedroom.

"So how did that go?" the hyena asked as the door shut behind them. She dropped the chain, but did not tie it to the bedframe.

"Well enough... I'm really getting married," Judy mumbled, feeling the depression welling beneath her fur. This was happening… and there was nothing she, or anyone, could do to stop it.

"You really are... do you need anything? Anything at all?" the hyena asked, sensing her depression. "He made it clear you were supposed to be comfortable."

"No... I'm just going to lie in bed and think about how the hell I'm supposed to tell Nick about this..." Judy said as she got into bed.

"Well, it could be worse..." the hyena sighed.

"I guess. I suppose He could have been a dominating husband… but he's not cruel, so at least… that's something," she replied, turning over to lie on her back.

"That's all you can hope for sometimes... ya know? He's probably the best thing that ever happened to me in my eight years of having this collar," she admitted, "But I assume it's not the same thing for you."

"No... it's not," the rabbit sighed, as she stared up at the ceiling, completely forgetting to ask the hyena about her collar.

XXX

 **And now we get to see the two parallel lines of our story start to run. Nick and Shenzi do some detective work and now have Wolfgang's name… and hopefully a way to get ahold of the ones who took Judy. On the other side of things, Wolfgang and Judy plan their wedding, though she is clearly unhappy… and it…** ** _disturbs_** **him? Well… hmm… I suppose it could be worse for Judy. But there's still that question of** ** _how she's going to escape_** **. She might have to wait for Nick to come and rescue her… if he even can. But… all that and more, next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Deficient:

Author's Note:

 **We learned a lot last chapter, as did the characters. Nick and Shenzi are well on their way to finding Judy… whether or not they'll be able to rescue them has yet to be seen. And we got to learn quite a bit about Wolfgang, and of course, the fact that the wedding is indeed happening. Judy seems trapped, and she's growing to accept that… but there's still something missing. She so desperately wants to see Nick, and Wolfgang is adamant about waiting until after the wedding to let her do anything. I wonder if she'll be able to convince him otherwise… in any case, please, enjoy!**

XXX

The sun shone brightly on a new day as Nick and Shenzi made their way towards the precinct with hope fluttering in their chests. Although they had no idea when these two monsters would show themselves again, they would be ready for them. Until that time, Nick planned to do something else. Call it... preparation in advance. "Hey Shenzi... do you want to learn something new today?" he asked, small smile in place on his face.

"Sure, Nice Fox," she replied

"All right, I want to teach you how to shoot a gun properly. That's why I was touching up at the firing range yesterday. I can't really let you carry that thing around unless you have some training," he explained, pointing towards the very obvious weapon sticking out of her shirt. She didn't have a holster, nor did she want him to carry it for her, she had just shoved it into her bra.

"Oh… aren't they dangerous?" she asked, concern dancing in her eyes.

"Well, yes," Nick admitted. "But they're useful and they become significantly less dangerous when you know how to use 'em properly. That's why I want you to learn."

"Okay… where do I learn?" she asked as they entered the building, walking past a strangely empty desk. Nick didn't bother to wonder where the chubby cheetah had wandered off to… probably just getting more donuts.

"The shooting range, come on, follow me," he said, leading her to the very room she had found him in yesterday. To their surprise, they weren't alone in the room. Wolfard was there too.

"Hey Nice Wolf!" Shenzi called out.

Wolfard paused as he reloaded another clip, just barely making out her voice over the earmuffs. He set the gun down and turned to see her and Nick. "Shenzi, officer Wilde, hello there," he greeted with a small wave of his paw.

"Nice wolf?" Nick muttered, quite confused. But neither Shenzi nor Wolfard made any attempt to explain the title she had given him.

"Hi, Nice Wolf," she repeated, believing that he had not heard her the first time. "We're here to train with this!" She pulled the handgun from its "hiding spot" and presented it to him.

"Woah! Please don't point that at me," Wolfard practically jumped out of the way when she brandished the handgun. She gave him a confused look, not quite understanding why he panicked. She wasn't going to shoot him.

"Right, that reminds me, Spots. Rule one with guns, don't point them at allies, even when the safety is on," Nick explained.

"Oh," she said softly, hanging her head, and pointing the gun down at the ground. She had made a mistake… she almost shot Nice Wolf! Nick gave her a comforting pat on the back and motioned for her to place the weapon on one of the tables.

"You're teaching her to shoot?" the wolf asked when the gun was no longer in her paws. Nick nodded in response, busying himself with trying to find earmuffs that would be her size.

Shenzi nodded cheerily, excitement brewing beneath her fur. She had always wondered what it was like to shoot a gun… and now she was going to learn! Wolfard only shook his head at her excitement, her expression was more befitting a child getting her first BB gun, rather than learning how to fire a real weapon.

Nick padded back over to her, and handed her a pair of earmuffs. She put them on, twitching slightly as she adjusted to the feeling of having something covering her ears. He led her to one of the stalls and she picked up the weapon, careful not to point it at the Nice Fox. "What now?!" she asked loudly, shouting so that she could hear herself.

"Aim down range, remove the safety," the fox said loudly, pointing the gun in the correct direction and clicking the safety switch off, "And start firing! Let's see what ya got before I teach you anything." He took a few steps backwards, for safety's sake.

Shenzi braced herself, and pulled the trigger. The recoil wrenched the weapon from her paws and it flew behind her, to which she ducked while simultaneously jumping in fright from the loud _bang!_

Wolfard, who had halted his practicing to watch Shenzi, and Nick both dove out of the way as the gun clattered to the floor. "Okay... so you have no idea what you're doing," Nick admitted.

"Wilde! You almost killed us, shouldn't you have at least mentioned you have to _hold onto the gun_?!" Wolfard cried out. Shenzi only smiled nervously as she retrieved the weapon.

"Fair point," Nick grumbled, standing from the hard, concrete floor. "Okay Spots… try again, this time _hold on_ to the gun."

She nodded, padding back over to the firing range, and gripped the handgun harder this time. She braced herself once more, and fired. She managed to hold on, however the recoil from the weapon still shook her bones.

"All right... that was better. But you completely missed the target," Nick observed after the bullet flew passed the target and slammed into the wall. "Here, hold the gun like this," he rearranged her paws so she was holding the weapon correctly. "Now try."

Shenzi braced herself once more, closing one eye as she aimed downrange. Yet another loud bang sounded as she pulled the trigger. The bullet flew true, striking the target. Though, not in a wonderful location. "Well... that'll hurt any man you come across," Wolfard observed casually.

Nick only rolled his eyes. "Now we just need to work on your aim," he muttered and helped her adjust again. "Try that."

She gulped and fired again, her legs shaking. The recoil was really starting to get to her, her wrists were starting to hurt. And the sound, even through the earmuffs, was still annoying. The bullet struck the center of the target. "Ah, very good. Though you should probably stop shaking," he said, noticing that her stance was becoming loose. "I think you've got the gist of it, quickly as always. I'll just give you some time to practice... I'm going to move up to something a bit heavier..." he mumbled.

Wolfard watched as Nick walked away from Shenzi and went towards the weapons closet, where he pulled out a miniature AR-15. _So, that's what he meant,_ Wolfard sighed to himself. Nick always did enjoy assault rifles.

The fox set up next to the hyena, earplugs already set in his ears. He loaded a magazine and aimed downrange. Wolfard sighed to himself, and went back to his weapon, still sitting in the stall on the other side of Shenzi.

Gunfire echoed throughout the room for several minutes as the three of them did their best to hit the target several dozen meters away. While it was difficult to tell, because the three of them were all decent shots, Nick was just barely outperforming his comrades. Though, that could very well be due to his weapon of choice.

Shenzi emptied her clip at the same time as Nick. Instead of loading a new one, however, she turned to the Nice Fox and asked as loudly as she could, "Could I try that?!" Nick gave her an odd look, but handed her the AR-15. It was a bit small in her paws, but she should be able to handle the recoil better, as she squeezed the grips hard and aimed carefully before firing.

The assault rifle handled quite differently than the pistol, the recoil nearly made her jump out of her fur. But she managed to strike the target several times nonetheless. Wolfard couldn't help but whistling, "She's already as good of a shot as you." Nick only rolled his eyes at him.

"Am I good enough Nice Fox?" she asked, setting the weapon down, and taking off her earmuffs.

"Good enough? She's better than most of the officers here, including you, hotshot," Wolfard continued to grin.

"Yeah, you're good," Nick grumbled at Wolfard's compliments. "But..." he couldn't help but show off a bit. He stepped up to the spot next to her, pulled out his gun, and fired several rapid-fire rounds, hitting the target in a pattern that looked like an 'X.' "I'm still better, Wolfard," he grinned when the wolf snorted.

"Whatever you say, showoff," Wolfard sighed. "In any case, my shift is about to start… so I'll be heading out. See ya." He waved at the two of them, which Shenzi returned enthusiastically, as he exited the building.

"What now, Nice Fox?" Shenzi asked, setting the assault rifle down. She liked the larger weapon more… it was more comfortable in her paws, even though she could tell this assault rifle was built for someone of Nice Fox's size.

"I don't know, Spots… we're just playing the waiting game at the moment," he sighed in response, leaning against one of the tables. "But I think that's enough practice for one day, help me clean up."

"Uh… okay," she said, picking up the assault rifle. While the Nice Fox busied himself with picking up all the empty casings on the ground, she stored the weapon back on the shelf Nice Fox found it on. Then she busied herself storing the earmuffs as Nick got rid of all the casings that he had picked up.

She didn't notice him walk around her and reach into the equipment closet. "Hey, Spots, try this on," she turned to see him presenting a belt of some sort to her.

She blinked and took the belt from him, strapping it around her waist. "What is it?" she asked as she adjusted the belt to make it more comfortable. She noticed an odd external pocket sticking out of the right side of the belt.

"It's a holster, Spots, it'll let you carry your gun around more comfortably," he explained, padding over to the stall she had been using, and retrieving her weapon. He walked back over to her and handed her the firearm, to which she slipped into the external pocket.

She gave him a small smile, this was way more comfortable than shoving the gun down her shirt. "Thank you," she said, following him out of the firing range. He gave her a small smile and opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing.

He paused in his step, causing Shenzi to nearly run into him. She halted too and looked down at him, concern clear in her eyes. "What is it, Nice Fox?" she asked carefully, worried that something bad had happened.

Nick pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at the number. It wasn't one he recognized. _Please be Gerry, please be Gerry, please be Gerry,_ he repeated in his mind as he answered the phone, completely ignoring Shenzi's question. He snorted to himself at the absurdity of his mantra, never before had he actually _wanted_ to hear from the possum before, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He held the phone up to his ear and said, "Yello?"

"Hey Nick!" came the voice of the sleazy possum. "I was getting worried there when you didn't immediately answer."

"I was busy," Nick replied. "What do you want?"

"Your lion and tiger are here... I've got someone stalling them, but if you want your slave back you'd better hurry..." Gerry explained.

"Of course, thanks, Gerry… keep them stalled until I get there!" Nick all but shouted, hanging up before the possum could even say _see ya later._ The fox looked up at Shenzi and said, "Those bastards are at the market, we have to move!"

She nodded rapidly in excitement and followed the Nice Fox as he practically ran towards the cruiser. The drive was silent as Nick ran through as many scenarios in his head as he possibly could. Deciding on what to do, he parked a few blocks away from the black market and took a deep breath.

The duo exited the cruiser, Nick pausing only to switch into something more casual, his Pawaiian T-shirt providing the only cover he needed. Shenzi didn't bother with her disguise. "All right, I'm going in there and getting them outside. You wait by the door, when they come out, get your gun on them. Got it?" he asked.

Shenzi nodded silently and leaned against the building as Nick ran inside, not bothering to conceal his weapon. He was going to need it. The minutes ticked by and she felt a shiver pass violently through her spine. _What if Nice Fox is hurt?_ she pondered, he was taking quite a long time… she looked down at the weapon by her side and undid the strap, pulling the firearm free of its holster.

She held the weapon against her chest and felt the shaking start to fade. How could something so small and simple provide so much comfort? The Nice Fox was armed as well, he would be fine… he was just talking to his friend. _Yes… just talking to his friend,_ she sighed to herself.

She jumped when the door opened and a lion and tiger exited, holding their paws up in the air. Nick came out next, weapon trained on them, and scowl heavy on his face. "Shenzi," he growled, causing her to jump again and point her own weapon at the mammals. She and Nick led them around the side of the building and into an abandoned alleyway, reminiscent of the one the lion and tiger had cornered Judy in.

"All right, listen up you smarmy bastards, we've got questions and you've got answers, and unless you wanna lose those kneecaps, I suggest you answer them," Nick growled, shoving the lion and tiger to the ground. He dug through their pockets as Shenzi, albeit with a shaky paw, kept the gun on them. Nick pulled out simple revolvers from their pockets and tossed them aside.

"What the fuck is going on?!" the lion asked, still with his paws behind his back. He and his friend had just been enjoying catching up with some of their black market contacts when this fucking _fox_ showed up out of nowhere, shoved a gun in their faces, and dragged them to this alleyway.

Nick growled and pistol whipped him across the face, "I'm asking the questions here, fuckin' kidnapper!" The lion snarled at him, but whimpered when Nick hit him again. "Do you remember taking a bunny two days ago? Possibly wearing a niqab?"

"Uh... yeah, we did... what's it to you?" the tiger snarled.

"You happened to take officer Judy Hopps of the ZPD, my _partner,_ in more ways than one," the fox growled, shoving the weapon harder against the tiger's head. "Where is she?"

"Uh… well, w-we didn't k-know it w-was her!" the lion stammered, staring at the fox fearfully. Of course, they had the misfortune of being caught by a cop the day they were going to leave!

Nick switched targets from the tiger to the lion. The tiger wasn't going to crack, but the lion was definitely afraid. "Where. Is. She?" Nick demanded, pressing the gun against the lion's head harder with each word.

The lion swallowed audibly. "We took her to a crime boss named Wolfgang, all right? That's all we were supposed to do. Get a bunny, bring it to him. It wasn't specifically supposed to be her!" he said, beginning to sweat from anxiety.

"Really? And what did he want a bunny for?" Nick hissed.

"Er…"

"Err, isn't an answer dumbass! Tell me, what did he want her for?!" Nick practically screamed, jamming the gun against the lion harder, forcing his head forwards in an awkward bow. He saw the tiger trembling with rage out of the corner of his eye, but Shenzi's weapon was currently pressed against his forehead.

The lion gulped. _This fox was insane!_ Maybe even more so than Wolfgang… "Okay, okay, okay! This is going to sound strange, and we think it's strange too, but he wanted a rabbit so he could marry it! Really, I'm not joking!" he pleaded.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Is... Wolfgang the name of a bunny crime lord?" It sounded odd, he knew, but Judy _was_ attractive... not that it would forgive this Wolfgang from taking her.

"Uh…"

Nick growled, "Hold on... there are no fucking bunny crime lords! What the hell species is this Wolfgang?" He slammed the butt of the gun onto the lion's shoulder, causing him to groan out in pain.

"A wolf, all right? A wolf!" the lion cried out.

Nick paused, "Why does a wolf want to marry a bunny?"

"We don't know! Don't shoot us!" the lion begged.

Nick sighed heavily, at least he knew _why_ Judy was taken. And it _was_ definitely strange… but at least there was a reason. A bad reason, but a reason nonetheless. "Tell me everything there is to know about Wolfgang," he commanded.

"We just know where he lives! That's it!" the lion said quickly.

"That's it, huh? Tell me where he lives, then," Nick hissed.

"There's a big purple mansion on the south side... thirty first avenue! You can't miss it!"

"And what about security? What opposition do I expect to face?" If this lion was talking, then the very least Nick could do was try and extract as much information as possible from him.

"Snipers on the roof! That's all I've seen!"

"Is there anything else you can tell me? Who else is in the house with him, family? What does he do for a living? Is it something I could get a search warrant for? What does he look like? What's his last name? Details, details!" Nick demanded.

"I don't know those things! I just know that his fur is pale" the lion said.

"Pale fur, huh?" the fox growled. "Are you sure you don't know what he does?"

"Uh… no? I swear I'm telling the truth!" the lion pleaded.

"Fine," Nick sighed, but he didn't remove the gun from his head. "Well, then, Shenzi... what should we do with them? Should we let them go crawling back to their boss... or should we just put them out of their misery here?"

"Isn't it bad to kill things?" she asked. The lion and tiger nodded vigorously in agreement. There was something… off about the Nice Fox, he was angry, even angrier than he was when he saw Judy being taken. She didn't think he was thinking rationally…

Nick sighed again, "You're right, it _is_ bad to kill things. But... they did take Carrots from us, is that enough to warrant killing them?"

"I don't know," she answered. In truth, she _didn't_ think taking Nice Carrots was enough to kill them, but she didn't want Nice Fox angry at her as well.

Nick shook his head. "I don't know either. Either of you fools want to plead your case?" he asked, glaring at the two criminals still kneeling before him.

"We didn't mean to hurt anyone!" the lion cried out, but the tiger remained silent. He was a tough one to crack, the lion… not so much.

"Maybe we should let them go," she said carefully.

The fox took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Finally, he let out a sigh and said, "Fine... go crawling back to this Wolfgang and tell him that Nick Wilde is coming for Judy Hopps!" He slammed the butt of his gun on the backs of the lion's neck and motioned for Shenzi to do the same to the tiger.

She hesitated, but followed his command, knocking the tiger out as well. Nick holstered his weapon and walked back towards the cruiser, Shenzi following close behind him. "At least we have something… let's see what Bogo has to say about all this," he growled as the cruiser came into view.

XXX

Judy opened her eyes slowly and turned slightly to see the hyena sitting on a chair near the door. "Goood morning," Judy yawned, stretching out the word 'good.'

The hyena smirked from her chair that Wolfgang had remembered to bring this time. "Good morning to you as well. How'd you sleep?" she asked.

"Really well actually. This bed is great. Best thing about this place," Judy admitted.

"I would certainly hope so. Wolfgang custom ordered it for him... he does have wonderful taste, doesn't he?" the hyena chuckled and waggled her eyebrows at Judy.

"I guess he does," Judy growled, trying to ignore the hyena's jest.

"Oh, come on, that was a compliment!" the hyena pressed further. "You can see it in his eyes. He knows he's made quite the catch... even if he's a bit odd about it."

"Huh. Quite the catch indeed," Judy growled.

"Oh, don't be like that. Enjoy your new life! I know that I will for mine," the hyena sighed. "I'm sure he'll give you whatever you want to keep you happy... he's nice like that."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Except letting me go," she said, throwing the covers off, and getting out of bed.

"Oh... right..." the hyena looked downcast for a moment. She had forgotten about that little detail… Judy was trapped here. "Do you want to shock me?"

"I thought your collar didn't work," Judy raised an eyebrow. _Had Wolfgang lied to me?_ she wondered as she handed the chain to the hyena.

"Aww... he told you?" the hyena cracked a smile. "It's always fun to freak people out when I pass out from the button. Although it gets annoying faking it when his mother presses it over and over again." She sighed, "You gotta have a bit of fun… right?"

"You certainly do," Judy growled, "In a place like this."

"Yeah... it can get a bit boring around here," the hyena admitted. "Anyways... Wolfgang has given you the same option as before, have lunch with him or don't... your choice."

"I'm having lunch with him… but can I get ready first?" she asked. After her conversation with the white wolf yesterday, she had come to accept that she was trapped here. And since she was trapped here… she at least wanted to be able to see Nick. Wolfgang hadn't said that he wouldn't allow her to see him… just that she couldn't see him _now._ So… perhaps she could change his mind.

"Uh… yeah, sure. He… he didn't actually give me any orders, he just said that you could do what you wanted," the hyena shrugged.

"Well, I think I'll go beyond presentable for today. He seemed to like it yesterday and... I need to ask something important," Judy said. Maybe… maybe he would be more willing to let her see Nick if she played along.

"Ooh... pushing for 'it' anyways?" the hyena chuckled as she led the rabbit towards the room with the dresses once again. "Way to give a hundred and ten percent!"

"Yeah, whatever," Judy rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure how the hyena had gotten that into her head, but _that_ definitely wasn't the case. "Do you know how to apply makeup expertly?" she asked. The hyena nodded in response. "Good... I hope he'll like it." _Or will at least be caught off-guard._

The hyena helped her pick out something a bit more revealing than what she was usually comfortable with before she led the rabbit towards the master bathroom. Judy took a shower and brushed her teeth before dressing in the low-cut dress. Then they got to work on the makeup.

The hyena lined Judy's eyes, then applied mascara as Judy tried not to blink it out. She highlighted Judy's eyelashes, before taking out some powder. She blushed Judy's cheeks then applied lipstick, but only lightly. Too much usually was overdoing it. She went over Judy's cheeks with a little blush, for neatness' sake. "Well?" the hyena asked, showing Judy towards a large mirror.

Judy stared at her reflection… she barely even recognized herself. "Holy cow," she muttered.

"Yeah... if you were cute before, you're smokin' hot now," the hyena grinned, as if patting herself on the back for doing a good job.

"That's the desired effect," Judy shrugged.

"So... ready for lunch?"

"Ready," the rabbit sighed. She was reluctant to actually go through with this… but it was not just for her sake… but for Nick's as well. The two of them made their way to the dining room once again, this time Judy had put on a confident stride. To her surprise, Wolfgang was not staring at his laptop like he was last time. Rather, he was staring at the ceiling with a distant expression. He didn't even notice them walk in.

Judy made her way over to the same chair that she had sat in yesterday, but did not hop onto it. "Hello… dear," she said, bouncing slightly on her paws.

The wolf's ears flicked upwards and he looked down at the small, bouncing bunny, raised eyebrow arching even higher when he saw her get-up. _Holy..._ the thought was cut off when he realized he had to say something. "Hello, Miss Hopps... care for lunch?" he said carefully.

"Yeah, I would care," she said, pulling herself up onto the chair.

"Same as yesterday? Or... do you feel like mixing it up?" the wolf asked slowly, glancing at her again out of the corner of his eye.

"What else is there?" she asked.

"We have everything," the wolf shrugged. "Considering your get-up, I thought you might want something different."

"Do you like the get-up?" she smirked. It seemed to be working.

He paused and licked his lips, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't give her the wrong idea. "It is most... appealing," the wolf admitted. "Salad it is, then?"

"I suppose... yeah, I'll just take a salad. Unless you know of something better," she said, hopping up onto the table, and sitting with her legs dangling over the edge.

"I'm afraid wolves are strictly carnivores, so I wouldn't know," he admitted, standing up and walking towards the kitchen to get her the salad she desired. Miss Hyena nodded to herself and walked out of the room, sending a knowing wink to Judy for good luck.

Judy nodded in response. Wolfgang had definitely reacted how she had expected him to. Everything seemed to be going to plan, though she didn't like it much. The skirt was too high and the front was cut down lower than what she was used to. And she could swear he had glanced at her chest. She exhaled loudly. She hoped her plan didn't backfire and he would force her to wear dresses like for him more often.

But she reassured herself with the fact that he was never specific about what he wanted for her. She supposed, after this, he may just go back to 'be presentable.' She sat alone for a few minutes until the wolf came back with a salad bowl and a plate with a sandwich on it. And he brought the same wine as he revealed to her yesterday, though this bottle had just been opened. He poured them both a glass and sat back in his seat.

"Thanks," she said, beginning her salad. The sooner the day was over, the sooner she could get into a better dress. He couldn't help but glance at her as they ate. He was unsure of why he was unable to ignore her… this was weird. _What is she thinking?_ he wondered as he took a large bite out of his sandwich.

"So... when are we going to get my dress?" she asked, munching on a leaf.

"We?" he asked carefully, swallowing the last of his sandwich. He had purposefully eaten as quickly as possible. "I had thought you wished Miss Hyena to go with you."

"Oh... oh yeah," she sighed. They lapsed into uncomfortable silence. "Uh... well, what's up?" she eventually couldn't take the silence anymore. If this was going to work… she had to get him talking.

"... Do you really want to know the answer to that question?" the wolf asked quietly.

"Uh... sure?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"I had over one hundred million dollars stolen from me last night, by the only non-collared employees I have. The collared employees were unable to do anything for fear of being shocked... now I have to hunt down these traitors and execute them," the wolf sighed.

"Oh... who are they?" she asked, unable to help the _twist_ in her stomach when he so casually said he was going to kill them.

"They happen to be the ones who picked you up, Zach and Cody," the wolf said carefully. "I don't know where to start..." he mumbled to himself. "But enough about me... let's get back to the wedding. Yes, you and Miss Hyena are going to get your dress today, in a few hours, actually."

Judy couldn't stop a slight grin. At least the bastards that took her were going to get it. Even if it was unfair that they had to die… she still blamed them for taking her. "I'm glad we're getting the dress. I hope it'll be nice," she sighed, trying not to think about the lion and tiger.

"It will be, I have the utmost faith in the man who runs the place. And besides, you'll be designing it," he explained. "So, I'm sure it will look beautiful."

"I'll be designing it? Oh... that's nice," she said, she hadn't thought of that. "I'll make it beautiful."

He gave her a kind smile. "Besides that... I think we have everything else. I just need to pay for it all. Is there anything else you can think of?" he asked.

"Not really," she replied. _Now's my chance… I just have to soften him up a bit first,_ she thought to herself. "Nothing that money can buy, anyways."

"Oh? So, there is something?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh… you know," she leaned back in her chair, picking at her teeth, "Love."

Wolfgang faltered slightly, a shiver going down his spine. "Love?" he made an odd choking noise, that sounded as if he gagged while hissing. He grabbed his wine glass and drained it in a single gulp before filling it up again.

"Yeah. As in that's what's missing," she replied, grabbing a crouton from her salad.

"I thought we agreed that love wasn't a part of this..." he all but whispered, very confused. _Why now? What's going on?_

"Yeah, we agreed to that," she said, munching her crouton. "I'm just saying, it's missing from our wedding. Usually that's an integral part of these things." It definitely seemed as if he had been caught off guard… this might be easier than she thought.

"Is that something you've actually been considering... between us?" he asked, again softly. He couldn't believe this was coming out of her now. Was this Stockholm syndrome? Why now?

Judy gave a start. _Oh... I might have worded some of that incorrectly,_ she thought to herself. But then again, this was about trying to get permission to see Nick... would he like it if she hinted yes? "Who knows? We're going to be living together for-" she sighed, "The... rest of our lives. Maybe it would be in both our interests to... get... well... into the relationship of husband… and his wife." She had to stop herself from cringing. But, as she thought about it, what she was saying made sense. _Fuck, I have to stop thinking things that depress me,_ she growled internally.

He ground his teeth together when he heard her hesitance. There was something fishy going on here... and he needed to find out what. "Really?" he said. "And why… would you believe that?"

"Maybe I'm realizing I'm stuck here," she said quietly. It was too late, she had already managed to depress herself.

"So... is this for your benefit or for mine?"

"I don't know..." she mumbled, downcast.

"Exactly," he sighed. "You spruced yourself up quite nicely, put on your best poker face, and tried to convince me of something neither of us believe is possible. Excellent effort… however, you can at least take pride in the fact that, since you clearly want something from me, I will allow you to ask… what is it you want?"

"Oh, who knows what'll happen years from now. Maybe I'll get Stockholm syndrome," she mumbled, looking down at her feet. She didn't feel much like eating now. Why did she think this would work?

"Let me ask a serious question, then," he said. Clearly, whatever it was she wanted to talk about, she was waiting until he was sure to give it to her. "Would it be preferable for me to fall in love with you? Would it make this any less of a hell than what you think it is?"

"If I fell in love with you... I'd be betraying someone else. But I guess at that point I wouldn't care about what he thought anymore. And since I'll be your wife... for the rest of my life... maybe it would make things easier," she said, frowning sadly. _Nick…_

"I was asking about myself, Miss Hopps," Wolfgang sighed. "I already know what it would mean for you to fall in love with me, it would mean giving up hope. It would be the bliss of acquiescence... the bliss of... surrender. Which is why I ask about myself. To you, what does falling for you... mean for me?"

"Depends if I reciprocated or not. If you ever actually fell in love with me... well... I don't know... I guess it would be... nice," she shrugged. _Maybe there's still a chance this could work,_ she thought to herself. She… just had to convince him that this was a possibility.

He swallowed slowly, "Nice? Let's say... that we do end up falling for each other. I take the throne and whatnot... what becomes of us? Two mortal enemies who met at an inopportune moment in time... only to fall in love with the other. Could you live with yourself?" None of this made any sense to him… why did she suddenly care?

"If it really was love... yeah, I could," she admitted, ears falling behind her head.

 _This isn't working… I need a new angle of attack,_ Wolfgang thought to himself. "Define love, Miss Hopps," he asked.

"It's a feeling." She said. "It's a feeling, that in great enough quantity, drowns other feelings out... it makes you want to do things to express that feeling. Like giving someone flowers. Or kissing them. Or sacrificing yourself for them. It's something that makes you want to do your best for whomever you feel it towards," she explained, thinking of Nick. "It's never, ever letting go of someone you feel strongly about. Because if you love someone... you never want to let them go."

"A feeling..." the wolf echoed, trailing off. "That I have never felt before. Perhaps you have felt it, yes, but do you sincerely think, from the bottom of your heart, that I can express that feeling? Or you express such to me?"

"You never know who you'll love," she said firmly. She _had_ to get him to believe. "If you feel it... you'll know. And if I feel it towards you... I'll know too."

"But what if I'm deficient?" he asked softly. "You've clearly felt it before... but I've never felt such, ever. I was _raised_ to feel nothing. Raised to be a ruthless killer. Raised to shun love. Do you really believe _I_ , of all mammals, can feel such an emotion?" He ignored the fact that she was adamant that she believed she could fall for him. He didn't believe her... he couldn't believe her. What was she doing?

"Huh," Judy cracked a small smile, he was breaking… even if only slightly. "Oh, you'll feel it. You'll feel it smother you, you'll feel it surround you, you'll feel it taking centerstage when all you can think about is the one you love."

He looked at her, genuinely confused. "How... can you believe that about me? I'm a _monster_... a title I earned when I _took_ you from your loved ones and forced you to marry me," he licked his lips. "You come here, trying to seduce me, trying to convince me that the impossible can happen... why are you doing this? Why are you playing with my mind?"

He could feel it. Just... a little blip in his heart. The slightest twinge that told him that not even he believed what he was saying anymore. He wasn't sure to be surprised or confused... or outraged that a tiny little bunny could do this to him. He was indomitable, invincible, infallible... and yet, he could feel that little blip take root in his heart. _But he did his absolute best to ignore it._

"I'm just telling you the truth," she shrugged, finally looking up at him to stare into his eyes. "Anything can happen. And even if I hate you now... and probably will for a while, heh, maybe even _my_ heart could change. But that'll take some time."

"I just don't understand... why? Why would you suddenly care about this? Knowing that it is next to impossible between us. It doesn't make any rational sense for you to cling to something you _know_ is impossible. I let you keep your fantasy of escaping, but you've let it collapse upon itself for a new fantasy... how is this one any better? Because it _seems_ more realistic? Because you know it's what's supposed to happen?" he asked.

 _Because you care about me?_ the blip cried out, but didn't dare pay it any heed. That was something he doubted more than she did. She hated him, she said so herself.

"Because you ruined my life, that's why!" she shouted suddenly, slamming her little fist onto the table. "Maybe I'm just trying to pick up the pieces!"

"There it is," the wolf deadpanned. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, calming himself, though Judy remained angry. His eyes popped back open and he said, "Do you want me to help you pick up the pieces?" It was the best thing he could offer. And that little blip inside him told him... he should try and help her through this. Even if he knew she was _doomed_ , as was he.

"Yes… yes, I do," she said. "Although I'm afraid some pieces have shattered into dust."

"Dust can be coagulated back into glass with enough heat," he observed with a heavy sigh. "What is it you want from me? I... may not be able to feel... love. But I will... do my best to make this easier for you." That's what he had been trying to do from the beginning.

"Just..." she looked down at her paws, "Could you let me see Nick?"

"Miss Hopps... I never said you couldn't. I only said we would talk about it after the wedding," he explained. _So,_ _ **that**_ _is what this is all about... hmm…_ he growled to himself.

"And... what do you think you'll say? I mean, you're going to give me freedoms and the ability to do largely what I want. But you're still in charge, if you wanted, you could do whatever you felt like to me. And thank you for promising not to do… _that_. But... well, what will you probably let me do when it concerns Nick?" she asked.

Wolfgang let out a heavy sigh, "Miss Hopps... tell me... if you truly believe that love is possible between us, then would it not be true to say that, if I were to fall in love with you... I would not want you near Nick? Would it not also be true that if you were to fall in love with me, you would not want to be near Nick, except to tell him that you belong to another? I only said you must wait until the wedding... but you imply that you may never want to see him again with your talk of 'love.'"

"Okay, let's say the two of us do fall in love. Then I wouldn't want to be near Nick, so that I wouldn't have to bear the hollow look in his eyes when I tell him what's happened. But if we don't... which we most certainly won't, at least not anytime soon... then I would like to see Nick. Because he is still my best friend," she explained.

"You admitted it, even if you caught yourself. Your friend Nick... is a subject I did not wish to consider until after we have married. I don't know what I'll be thinking... and you don't know what you'll be thinking," he sighed.

They sat in silence for a moment before he asked, "Are you really thinking this through? Your friend thinks you've been taken, wouldn't it hurt him more to learn you belong to someone else now?"

"Yeah… it would hurt him a lot… but if he never found me... it would erode him until the day he died," she said. _This isn't working,_ she sighed internally. Maybe… "What if it turns out to be one sided? What if one of us falls in love, but the other doesn't reciprocate?" That way, at least, if she did fall eventually, she would still get her way.

Wolfgang thought for a moment. "In the unlikely event I were to fall in love with you... what would you expect from me? If you were to fall for me... what could I expect from you? I don't know, Miss Hopps because I have never felt such things..." he sighed. She was still pressing this topic, and he wasn't sure why.

"If one of us falls in love with the other... should we make a deal? To reciprocate, even if we feel nothing?" she asked, staring off into space. This way… she could at least protect her interests. She had already convinced herself this was possible, even if he refused to believe, she didn't want to be alone in the unlikely event this happened. "Maybe we should-"

She was interrupted by the sound of the front door being practically thrown off its hinges before being slammed with a loud _bang!_ Her eyes widened when she saw a lion and tiger rush into the dining room, panicked expressions on their faces, though the lion seemed significantly more frightened than the tiger.

Wolfgang's ears flicked in annoyance when he heard the door open. His eyes widened when he laid eyes on the lion and tiger, but they quickly narrowed in rage. "We will continue this later," he hissed, standing as he did. "You have a lot of nerve coming here after what you did," he snarled.

"Uh… after we did what?" the lion asked nervously, the tiger beside him tensing suddenly. They had thought they had gotten away clean… but apparently not.

Wolfgang approached the two slowly, stripping off his suit jacket and tossing it onto the floor, revealing that he had two pistols holstered at his side. "Do you think me a fool? You two are the only non-collared employees that I have, did you know that? The others sold you out in a second!" he growled, snapping his fingers.

"I know you stole from me, ran from me, betrayed me... you've only saved me the trouble of hunting you down! Did you come crawling back because you knew I'd find you? That won't _save_ you!" he snarled.

"Well... we have something we need to tell you!" the tiger said quickly, staring down at the holstered weapons, swallowing loudly. Although the wolf was more than a foot shorter than the both of them… he was infinitely more dangerous.

Wolfgang thought for a moment before hissing, "Get on your knees." Typically, he would have just killed them the moment they stupidly walked through the door… but if they had something to say, he might as well hear them out. They complied immediately, dropping to the ground like a sack of bricks. He paced around behind them, on their knees, their heads barely made it above his waist. "You have thirty seconds. Go."

"Uh... there's a Fox! He's looking for the bunny we nabbed! He's looking for Judy Hopps, he threatened to kill us!" the lion all but shouted.

The wolf's eyes widened and he looked over at Judy, who placed a paw over her mouth in shock. _Nick was coming for her!_ "Really? Did he happen to give his name?" Wolfgang hissed.

"Uh..." the lion trailed off as he tried to remember the name.

The tiger came to his assistance, however, "Wilde! Nick Wilde!"

Wolfgang let out a sharp hiss in aggravation, " _Fascinating_ , he thinks he can save her." He drew his firearms from their holsters slowly, causing the lion and tiger to tense from the sound of hammers being pulled back, preparing to fire. "Is that all?"

"Uh… yes?" the lion tried, anxiety written across his face. _He didn't want to die!_

Wolfgang growled something that had no meaning. "Do you believe that warning me he was coming… saves you?" he asked, pressing the barrels of his weapons into the back of their heads.

"Yes?" the tiger said stiffly as he felt the cold steel of the gun against his fur.

"Do you think that your information makes a difference? Do you really think that he could infiltrate this building and save her... even if you didn't warn me he was coming?" the wolf hissed.

"We... yeah, that was the thought," the lion explained, still facing forward, as he was too scared to turn around.

Wolfgang began to laugh. His chuckle echoed through the otherwise empty room, causing the two traitors to grind their teeth together. "You are quite lucky that I have not yet informed my security team of your betrayal... otherwise you would never have been able to get within a hundred meters of my home! You would've been gunned down like pigs in the street. No one... no one... can get to me in this house. No matter how skilled, how strong, or how smart this fox may be... he will _never_ reach her," he explained. "Now... what to do with the two of you?"

They lion and tiger breathed heavily, realization dawning on them. _They were going to die._ "Let… us... go?" the lion said softly, praying that it would work. That Wolfgang would grant them mercy. The tiger, however, did not hold such hope.

Wolfgang chuckled again, "Where is the money? You have yet to earn your freedom, give me back what is mine... and I may consider letting you go."

"We have a van… it's out front. All of the money is in the back!" the lion said quickly.

Wolfgang let out a sigh of relief, but did not remove the weapons from their heads. "Very good. Miss Hopps!" he called out, catching her attention.

Judy looked up, grinning widely. _Nick was coming!_ Wolfgang, seeing that he had her attention, said, "These two were the ones to take you here. They were the ones to rip you away from your friends and family. From your precious fox. I did not order them to find you... they found you on their own terms. What punishment do you believe is suitable for such traitorous, kidnapping, criminals?"

Judy frowned, he was leaving it up to her? She furrowed her eyebrows as she thought about what he had said earlier. He wanted them dead… and he wanted her to tell him that. "Jail time," she said. Just because he wanted them dead… and just because they took her, doesn't mean they had to die. Kidnapping and theft only warranted jail time.

Wolfgang snorted, "You're trapped here, forced to marry me, and no matter how much you want it, your friend can never reach you... and you only want them to face jail time?"

"That's what the system would demand... and I'm still a cop, no matter what you make me into," she said, crossing her arms.

Wolfgang let out a heavy sigh, "Even in your darkest moment you can still see the light. Is it because they said Nick was coming for you? Is that enough for you? Tell me... what do you expect _me_ to do?"

"I... don't get me wrong, if I can get out of here, I will. But I am a cop. And this is what a cop is supposed to do... even if I have to be your wife first," she said.

Wolfgang shook his head softly. "You didn't answer my question. If you were in my position... could you afford to spare them?" he asked. The sound of the trigger being pulled and the bullet launching out of the barrel of the gun was second only to the deafening sound of blood and brains splattering out of the tiger's skull as the shell impacted it. The deceased tiger fell forwards, hitting the floor with a wet _splat._ Wolfgang did not break eye contact with Judy, his expression impassive, despite the dead body by his feet.

The lion let out a cry of surprise as his partner fell beside him. "You are not a cop anymore, Miss Hopps. However... I am still a crime lord, and I cannot allow such acts to pass by me without an appropriate response. They would not take jail time... they would take a collar plead... and I know that my sister has her eye on them. She would pick them up for her slave trade. I would be unable to save them then. Do you understand... Miss Hopps? Killing them... is merciful. Tell me… to kill this one. Or would you rather do it yourself?" the wolf asked.

Judy's eyes widened when he fired the weapon. She stared at the body that had been hoping to live just moments before, and was now deceased on the floor. She hardly heard his next words, a look of shock and horror gracing her face. But she couldn't help… but remember that lion in that diner. She had killed him much the same as he had killed that tiger. Seeing it from the other side… disgusted her. "You killed him," she managed to choke out.

"I did," Wolfgang said simply. "You seem to be reeling from this, why is that? I told you, this is mercy." He walked towards her, not bothering to keep aiming at the lion on the ground, quietly weeping for his fallen comrade. He would not run... there was no running. "You seem to have forgotten that you've fallen down the rabbit hole, so to speak. This is _my_ domain, _my_ world, _my_ work. Where this is justice, mercy, and fair... it's expected of me to kill him. And, no matter how much you beg or reason otherwise, that fact will _not_ change."

He stopped at the table and leaned over so that he was closer to her. "You know nothing of what horrors he will face if I let him go. My sister is a monster beyond all others. That wolf that you saw, the first night, has been broken beyond repair. Traumatized, permanently, by her cruelty and sick, twisted sense of humor. _That_ is what we're saving this fool from. Now... I ask once again. Command me to kill him, or..." he set one of his pistols down in front of her, "Do it yourself."

He did not grin, nor smirk, nor laugh, nor make any attempt to seem as if he had any emotion whatsoever. He left the gun sitting there in front of her as he walked over to the lion, grabbed him, and dragged him over to the table, kicking his legs out from under him so that he knelt once more, his head above the table, across from her. Wolfgang made his way to stand behind her as she hesitated in touching the gun.

Judy stared at the gun, then at the lion, but did not look at Wolfgang. Her breathing increased as she slowly touched the large weapon, before putting her paws around it. Her shocked look slowly turned into a scowl, as she grasped the weapon harder. Then, quick as a flash, she turned to Wolfgang and pointed his own weapon at him, hammer cocked.

"Don't even think about going for your other one!" she cried out. Wolfgang stared at her, eyebrow raised. _This is my chance!_ she growled internally, struggling to keep the gun trained at his head. "You idiot! You think his fate is set in stone! That he has to go to your twisted fucking sister! You talk like you've got no choice in the matter, but you've got even more choice than most!"

"I am _very_ disappointed in your decision… Miss Hopps," he sighed, frown gracing his features. Her scowl deepened as her arms trembled from the exertion of holding up Wolfgang's massive handgun. "But you seem to misunderstand… no matter which way you slice it, short of letting him go, which I _will not do_ , death is his best option."

"Fuck you!" she growled, fumbling with the weapon slightly. The intensity in Wolfgang's eyes unnerved her, and she was already in too deep. "What if I just fucking shoot you? What do you expect _me_ to do?" she threw his own line back at him. Escape was staring her right in the face… why wasn't she just pulling the trigger?

"Go on... my dearest Miss Hopps. _Shoot me_ ," he remained absolutely calm. "Then you will find out what _grateful_ means in this world. The moment you shoot me... you die, by that lion's paws. And he'll end up being killed by security the moment your _dead corpse_ hits the floor. The only thing you will have accomplished will be two unnecessary deaths."

He let out a sigh, lowering himself so that she didn't have to lift the large gun as high to aim at his head. "If I die, that shockwave will echo across this city. My brother will take the throne by default and his reign of terror will kill hundreds, perhaps thousands more than I will ever end up killing. But please, Miss Hopps, we both know by shooting me, you will have proven my point. Killing me is mercy, killing yourself is mercy, killing him is mercy. So, pull the trigger," he growled, staring into her eyes, that amber absent the same anger as her violet.

"You think you're so fucking righteous! Only by comparison! Maybe you're the best choice to lead the empire, but for crying out loud! Just… tell me one thing. You're going to lead an empire built on crime, and... I'll be at your side, but… what happens to the horrible things your siblings do?" she asked softly, lowering the weapon slightly. But he did not take advantage of her surrender. _Oh god… why is he always right?_

"I will do the same to them as they would do to me. The branch that my sister controls will be shut down and she will be handed over to a mental institution, or killed... I have yet to decide. My brother will be left largely alone, he already has the police up his ass, and I will not be helping him. He plans to use the power of the throne to force _me_ and _my_ weapons to help exterminate his police opposition," he explained. "He'll be left out to dry, and before long… he'll be captured as well."

"I never said I was righteous. I have said that I act to the best of my ability, given my environment. Because I have morals... because I have a limit... because I only conform to the required degree, it makes me an exception within my family," he said, before tacking on softly, "I don't believe I'm a good animal."

"Good. Because you really aren't," said Judy, her voice soft yet firm. She was still holding his weapon, but she had lost the drive to kill him. She had lost the drive to escape. Maybe this _was_ Stockholm syndrome… but she couldn't help but argue that if Wolfgang dies, the world would be a hundred times worse. If he was right about his brother…

She paused before continuing with, "You know… before you forced me to be your wife... Nick and I found a collared hyena working in a diner. Her owner was horrible... so bad that her own morals were destroyed. When she makes a mistake… she expects to be shocked. No, she actually believes she deserves it. So... I killed the owner, framed the murder on the hyena, and got her ten extra years. Then we got her contract. She was supposed to live with us. You know, she's like a child. That's how horrible it is. She might as well be ten years old."

His eyes seemed to glow as he heard her words, though that gun was still pressed lightly against his head. "You little hypocrite, you _do_ understand," he chuckled. Finally, a grin stretched across his face. That little blip in his heart seemed to gain traction, no longer just a spot, rather a spark that could lead to a roaring flame... though it had yet to take that much of his soul.

"You have killed as I have, and yet you make me out to be the monster here? Did her owner deserve to die? Of course he did. Surely you didn't _enjoy_ killing him... I do not take pleasure in killing, and I'm not asking you to. But you must realize that it is the right thing to do, in this world I live in," he explained.

"You know what? Fine, fine, maybe I'm a hypocrite. But I swore to protect the innocent... promise me you'll do something about your sister. Promise me that... I'll be your wife Wolfgang! Your wife! Promise... that like a real couple... you'll listen to me. You'll listen to me so I can still do my job... so that in some capacity... my life's aspirations aren't wasted in a heartbeat," she said quietly, doing her best to hold back tears.

"Then end him," his voice was calm and even, "And I shall do as you say... my love." It sounded strange upon his tongue, and he knew it. But… it was what she wanted, and he would give it to her.

Judy breathed in and out, her chest heaving as she turned around and pointed the weapon at the lion, who kneeled, trembling, on the other side of the table. She pawed the trigger, as if she was going to fire, but she hesitated. "End him yourself," she said, turning slightly, and tossing him the gun.

He caught the pistol before it hit the ground. "I'm very disappointed with your decision, Miss Hopps. I had thought we almost made a breakthrough," he sighed as he stood. He barely glanced at the pleading lion before firing a single shell through his skull.

Judy didn't look at the lion as hit the table, splattering blood across the varnish, before going limp and hitting the floor. "But wasn't that one of my choices? Telling you to kill him? Isn't that as good as pulling the trigger?" she asked. "In that respect, you've had your breakthrough."

"I suppose so," he admitted. "Though you have already apparently pulled the trigger once before. Why stay your paw now? Circumstance? Would it have helped if I had told you what he had done, besides stealing from me?"

Judy looked down at her lap, her situation dawning on her. She could've… she could've done nothing. There was nothing she could do… even in shooting him, there was no escape. She would just make it even worse on herself. "If I had acted like a real cop... I would have shot you, and arrested the lion. Oh god... Wolfgang... what are your plans for me? What would you prefer I am?" she asked, swallowing loudly.

"What do you want to be? I will... listen to you, as you have begged of me, and if you had pulled the trigger I may have given you even more than that. Still... I ask, what do you want to be?" he asked, holstering his weapon, but didn't do anything to clean up his mess or recover his suit jacket.

"What do I want to be? I want to be away from here," she admitted. There was only one way to escape, the way she saw it. And that was convincing Wolfgang to let her go… even if that was impossible.

"That is not an option. I am asking if you want to remain a police officer, even while married to me," he said.

"Then… Wolfgang… I'll be faithful. You know that… you haven't given me any other choice! But I worked my entire life to become a cop... and you tore that away. So please... please listen to me when you make choices, listen to me before doing anything morally dubious... let me do some good in the world," she begged, looking him in the eye as she frowned sadly.

"What if I have to kill someone, just as I did now. Maybe I won't force you to watch, or force you to do it yourself... but you will be aware of the fact that I have killed people and will continue to do so. Will you be able to live with that?"

"I don't have a choice... do I?" she asked, looking down. "Just listen to my opinion... and know I'm only trying to make the world a better place... all right?"

"Look at me, Miss Hopps," Wolfgang said softly, drawing her attention to his face. "Are you really making the world a better place? Or is that just an illusion? I want to _believe_ that's what police do... that's why I do not interfere in their investigations, or have them eliminated if they get too close... but I have seen very little of their worth in my life. Are you making the world a better place, or are you just perpetuating the illusion of doing so?"

Judy snorted, "Do you know what the world would be like without them?"

"Do you mean the world that I live in?" he smirked.

"Yeah. I thought so. The world needs good people to make it as good as possible... and to keep any good in it they can. I mean, every once in a while, you've got rotten people in a uniform but everyone I know at the ZPD believes in what they're doing. Protecting those who can't protect themselves. And most importantly, keeping order," she explained, putting her paws on her hips.

"And I certainly hope that is true. However... do you happen to know officer Wolfard?" he asked.

"Yeah. I've seen him around," she said, looking up at him. "Why?"

"What if I were to tell you he is my older cousin? And, also, my eyes and ears inside the police force. And, if I told him to, he would be the one to kill officer Wilde if it came down to it," Wolfgang explained.

"Wolfard would… shoot… Nick?" she said, her eyes widening. "What?!"

"If I told him to. I am telling you this because, to an extent, I am the only thing keeping the police force functioning. If I asked, the ZPD would come to a grinding halt... anarchy would reign in the streets, riots would quickly arise... and your world would quickly rot into mine. What I am saying, Miss Hopps, is that after I have told you this... does the ZPD still seem to be effective, just because I allow it?"

"Wolfgang... don't shoot Nick. Please don't hurt the ZPD! You said you wouldn't…" she paled.

"I wouldn't, I wouldn't," he said, placing a paw against his chest, offended by the very idea. "I am saying I have the power to. And I am using this as an example of the limitations of police enforcement."

"It's only limited because of criminals like you! Look, Wolfgang... we try our best... we try our best... oh... why are you always one step ahead of me?" she cried out in anguish.

"Judy..." he sighed, collapsing back into his chair at the head of the table. "Neither of us are right... nor wrong. I'm not smarter than you, I don't have more experience than you... in fact, I'm fairly certain you're older than me. I'm just trying to make you understand who I am... and what kind of world you now inhabit. Whether for your benefit or mine... I do not know."

"Then... thanks… I guess," she whispered. She could feel… crushed inside. She had thought _no one_ could challenge her ideals, but he had taken everything that she stood for, her beliefs of justice, and her knowledge of the ZPD… and destroyed it. He ripped it apart right in front of her. But… it wasn't cruel… he wasn't cruel about it. He… was just trying to help her understand.

Wolfgang nodded slowly. "What do you want from me? Seriously consider what I'm asking you. Take into account all that I've said and done, all that you think and know, all that you've learned and discovered from our short time together. The reality is that we're getting married, whether or not love will come into play is irrelevant, whether I can or will let you see your friends or go back to work is equally irrelevant. What do you want... as my wife?" he asked seriously after a moment of hesitation.

"In the end?" she said, looking him in the eye. "I guess... what does every animal want? To be happy. Let me... let me be happy... at least a little bit."

"And what will make you happy? After all of this... is there any real happiness left for you to have?"

"Yes, there is. There always is," she said, "Let me see Nick."

"Do you want him to come for you?"

"No."

"Very good. After we are married, and barring either of you doing anything stupid... I will allow you to see him," he sighed. It wasn't _exactly_ what she wanted… but it was all he was willing to grant.

She let out a soft sigh… at least it was something. "Thank you," she said, letting out a slight smile.

"Is there anything else?" he asked, rubbing his temples as he thought of cleaning up the mess he made. Miss Hyena was always helpful with disposing of bodies… but she would be busy. He could make a different servant do it... but he knew they were prone to vomiting while disposing of the bodies. Which left him to do it himself.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Is our lunch over then?"

"Yes... Miss Hyena will take you to get your dress made as I clean this up," he said. "She should be just around the corner."

XXX

Nick, with Shenzi in tow, barged into Bogo's office without knocking. "We found where officer Hopps is!" he practically cried out.

Bogo looked up, confused for half a second, before he realized what Nick had said. He stood up and exclaimed, "Really?! What have you found?"

"She was kidnapped by a crime lord named Wolfgang... and apparently is being held in a purple mansion on the south side," Nick gasped out, he and Shenzi had practically ran all the way to Bogo's office.

"Wolfgang?" Bogo blinked, "You mean... the wolf?"

"Uh... yeah? Wolfgang the wolf crime lord," Nick explained.

"Oh... that bastard," Bogo muttered, scowl gracing his features. If… if Wolfgang had Judy, then it was probably hopeless. "He's a wily one, I'll tell you that."

"Uh... what do you know about him, chief?" Nick asked. _Finally, someone who knows something other than his name._

"He's an arms dealer. If it wasn't for him, half the gangs in this city wouldn't be armed. Unfortunately for us... we haven't really... got anything illegal on him. We're very sure he's doing it, but we haven't the proof! But if he kidnapped Judy... we finally have something on him," Bogo smirked. They could get a warrant, and although it would be difficult actually getting up to his house… they might be able to save her.

"Well..." Nick trailed off, realizing he had made a very big mistake.

"What? What is it?"

"I may have received that information... uh... illegally... and let my informants... go," Nick admitted. They would never be able to get an arrest warrant for illegally gathered information... even if he had brought the lion and tiger in for kidnapping charges. "I'm positive the information is good... there just doesn't seem to be a real, legal way to go about this... unless you have a better suggestion."

Bogo's eyes narrowed as he snarled, "Damn it!" Officer Wilde had gotten a little overzealous and had made a mistake. And that mistake might very well cost them officer Hopps.

Nick frowned and shrugged nervously, "Yeah, my bad. But... we do know where she is."

"Then, let's get a stakeout going! Something! Anything to see if she's there! When you have proof… we can get a warrant for his arrest."

"Right... right... but we… still have a problem," Nick sighed. He wasn't entirely sure how Bogo was going to react to _why_ Wolfgang took Judy.

"What problem?" the cape buffalo asked, raising an eyebrow. Nick licked his lips slowly before mumbling something Bogo couldn't quite hear. "Er… what did you say? Something about a wedding?"

"He took her to marry her..." Nick repeated himself, just a bit louder and clearer.

Bogo blinked, caught off-guard. "Are you… rested?" he asked after a moment's hesitation.

"Yes?" Nick said, not quite sure why he was asking that.

"Then... are you sure you've gotten good information?" the cape buffalo asked. There was… no way Wolfgang had taken Judy for that purpose.

"I got it at gunpoint... they seemed legitimately afraid that I was going to shoot them," Nick shrugged.

"You _were_ going to shoot them..." Shenzi pointed out, "But their information seemed good..."

Bogo grumbled for a moment, coming to terms with the absurdity of the fox's statement. "Forget it… the reason doesn't matter. Listen, Wilde... you have a week to find out if she's in that mansion. If she is... we can assault the compound. But you may have duped you, all right? Make sure your information is good. That is all," ordered.

"Uh... what should we do if she does happen to marry him?" Nick asked quietly.

"Listen, Hopps will fight tooth-and-claw to prevent that from happening, she'll give us time to rescue her. But well... there's always divorce, if worst comes to worst," he sighed, sitting down in his chair.

"He's a crime lord, right? Surely this won't be as easy as a stakeout, finding her, rescuing her, and then having her divorce him if it comes to it... what if he's dangerous?" the fox asked. "What if he's done something to her?"

Bogo sighed. "Hopps is resilient. Besides, I hardly think any supposed marriage would be done legally. She probably wouldn't even have to divorce, if it comes down to it. And if he is holding her, it would be against her will, so we can arrest him for that. I will personally make sure he is charged. And as for how we'll find out if she's there... that's up to you," he ordered, looking back at his paper. "You're dismissed."

Nick nodded and turned to leave, Shenzi once again in tow, but there was a knock at the door before they could step out. It opened and Wolfard stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him, saying, "Chief, I got those numbers you were looking for... oh, hey officer Wilde, Shenzi."

"Hey Nice Wolf!" Shenzi greeted happily, giving him a small wave.

"Uh... what's going on? Did you happen to find Judy?" Wolfard asked. Nick growled an affirmative, before continuing out the door, relying on Bogo to explain what was going on to the wolf officer.

"Come in, Wolfard," Bogo ordered. Wolfard entered, closing the door behind him as Nick and Shenzi left.

"Chief Bogo? What's going on?" Wolfard asked, stepping closer to the chief's desk.

"Officer Judy had been kidnapped," Bogo sighed, not looking up from his papers.

"I, uh, knew that... sir. Shenzi informed me of her kidnapping," the wolf admitted.

"I see. She might be in quite a bit of trouble, however," the chief explained, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Oh... uh... do you know what happened to her? Or, uh, where she is?" Wolfard asked, crossing his fingers behind his back, praying Bogo didn't say what he thought he was going to say.

Bogo exhaled and finally looked up at the wolf officer. "Well, we think... and hopefully Wilde's source is credible, that she was taken by a dangerous crime lord named Wolfgang Fritz," he explained.

Wolfard's eyes widened and his ears flattened against his head, "Really? Oh dear..."

"Indeed. Wolfgang is crafty and _very_ good at evading the law, if he has Hopps… it might be difficult to actually ascertain if he does or doesn't," Bogo sighed.

"Aye... chief," Wolfard agreed, stuttering slightly.

"Is something wrong?" Bogo asked, looking back down at the papers littered across his desk.

Wolfard smiled nervously. "No-nothing... chief... just... nothing... I'm sorry, I have to go," he said quickly, leaving the files the chief had asked for on his desk, and rushing out of the door. _Oh shit... I'm going to have to go and see him... tomorrow... yes tomorrow..._ he thought to himself as he left the precinct, done for the day.

XXX

 **I** ** _know_** **, exciting, isn't it? Wolfard is related to Wolfgang… who could've guessed it? In any case… I would just like to address a few things to prevent anyone from getting the wrong idea about this chapter. Judy** ** _is not_** **developing Stockholm syndrome… it might be difficult to tell with her talk of love and whatnot, but I assure you, she's not delusional. She may be grasping at straws, trying to find what little happiness she can, but she hasn't fallen that far. And she might not ever fall that far, if Nick can save her.**

 **Anyways, Nick and Shenzi now have a place to start, more than just Wolfgang's name. It might actually be possible to rescue Judy, despite Wolfgang's bold claims of his defenses. Maybe all is not quite yet lost… but we'll see if Nick and Shenzi manage to actually get concrete proof that Wolfgang has Judy, and of course Wolfard going to meet with his cousin, next chapter. Stay tuned until then!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Remorseless, Treacherous, Lecherous, Kindless Villain:

Author's Note:

 **After a chapter as long as the last one… we need a shorter one, don't you think? This chapter is no less interesting, however. I do hope you enjoy those little scenes between Judy and Wolfgang… they're probably my favorite to write (even if they are sort of talking heads scenes). In any case, if you recognize the title of this chapter, then congratulations! You probably know where this chapter is heading… for those of you who don't immediately recognize that quote, you soon will. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Judy and the hyena had just finished their morning routine that was quickly becoming normal. Get up, wash up, brush teeth, get a dress, and apply makeup. Judy had chosen a dress she was much more comfortable with. It was pink, but did the job when it came to covering everything, unlike the one yesterday. They had also applied makeup, but unlike yesterday it was lighter, and simpler. It still enhanced her beauty nonetheless. All that was left now was to meet Wolfgang.

Wolfgang, once again, was paying zero attention to them as they walked into the dining room. He was, instead, reading a book. Judy couldn't quite tell what the book was from the entrance to the dining room.

"Hello, Wolfgang," Judy said, hopping up onto her chair.

He looked up from his book with a raised eyebrow. "Well, that's better than fuckface," he grinned slightly. He noticed Miss Hyena nodding to herself before walking out of the room. She had other things to do.

Judy blinked. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Wolfgang sighed, "I am pleased that you are willing to greet me kindly. I appreciate it."

"Oh," she said, "You're welcome... I guess."

He nodded in response, placing a bookmark in the book and placing it on the table. "How is your dress coming along? Is it finished?" he asked.

"It'll be done for tomorrow morning. I made sure it was very beautiful," she said. "A nice big white skirt, and a lovely top. I went for simplicity, but you should like it."

"Do you believe my opinion is important? Does it matter to you whether I like it or not... or are you just afraid I'll tell you that I despise it, and force you into something you may not like?" he asked.

Judy paused for a moment. Why _did_ she care? This was _her_ wedding… to an extent, she had made sure of that. "I guess that last bit," she murmured.

Wolfgang chuckled. "You needn't fear that, my dear Miss Hopps. First, I am sure I will love the dress, second, we would not have the time to change by the time I see it, third... I would never force you into something you wouldn't like... well... mostly," he admitted at the end.

"Are you talking about my clothes, or just in general?" she asked, trying to get comfortable on the large chair. Large chairs were typically uncomfortable to her, even with the soft padding on the seat and the back of the chair. Her eyes just barely made it over the top of the table when sitting. She thought of how she could rectify her uncomfortableness as she awaited his answer.

"In general... besides the wedding, I hope I've been reasonable with you," he said softly. There was that spark again. That spark was starting to do something a bit different... it was that small part of him that screamed out that forcing her to marry him, even if he had no choice, was still something that he shouldn't do. That he wouldn't do under any other circumstances. He had thought that he had left that part of him behind when she was dumped on his table just a few days ago.

"Heh, you won't let me see Nick," she said, hopping up onto the table, and crossing her arms.

"I won't let you see him before the wedding. If I were to let the two of you meet before then, I fear he may be tempted to do something rash… and you know how _that_ would end up," he explained. _With a bullet through that fox's head._

"He wouldn't be tempted to do something rash! Come on Wolfgang, I have to at least tell him I'm alive... and tell him that... well... you know," she finished awkwardly.

"He knows you're alive," Wolfgang argued. "Those two idiots I killed yesterday had told him such. And he knows what's happening to you as well. Problem solved. If anything, you should be asking me to tell him to stay away!"

Judy sighed. "I love him. So, I want to talk to him is all," she shrugged, her argument falling apart.

"I know," he all but whispered. "What if I sent him a messenger? I will allow you to give him a message, though you may not meet with him, with the condition that you tell him to stay away."

She sighed, she had lost yet again. "All right, all right. I'm sorry I even brought it up," she growled, rolling her eyes.

"Do you want to send the message? I will allow you to send a message, with said condition that you tell him to stay away, if that is what you wish."

"No... no, I'm good," she sighed, sitting down on the table. It wasn't… it wasn't worth sending a message to Nick if she had to tell him to stay away. If she didn't send that message, at least she would be allowed to see him… at least once after the wedding. By then it would be too late for Nick to do anything.

Wolfgang let out a sigh... crisis adverted. At least according to that spark in his heart. "Chin up, Miss Hopps, all is not lost. What would you like for lunch? Salad... or something else?" he asked.

"I'd like something else," she said, looking over at the wolf. "Do you have anything else for rabbits?" Maybe mixing things up a bit would help her mood.

"I'm not entirely sure what rabbits eat," Wolfgang raised an eyebrow, taken by surprise by the change of heart.

"Er... do you have any apples? I've tried a few before, they didn't taste so bad," she said, beginning to swing her legs over the edge of the table.

"We have apples in spades, my dear Miss Hopps. Anything else?"

"Err... apple pie?" she tried.

Wolfgang gave her an odd look, "Uh... in addition to the apples, or instead of the apples? And... I have no idea how to make apple pie."

"Couldn't you just ask one of your servants to make it?"

"I don't typically force them to make lunch for me…"

"Never mind then. I'll just have an apple," she sighed.

"I can... learn how to make apple pie, if that is what you want," he said. "I'm sure mother keeps her cookbooks close..."

"Oh... could you?" she asked, smiling a little bit. Apple pie would be wonderful… it would cheer her right up, at least she hoped it would.

He took a deep breath and said, "Of course, Miss Hopps... I will learn how to make apple pie for you." And with that, he walked into the kitchen to rummage around for mother's cookbooks. He wasn't even sure if they would have apple pie in them... considering they were for wolves.

She waited patiently, legs swinging back and forth, her good mood already returning. She had not been aware that _he_ had been making her a salad each day. A good while later, Wolfgang came back with a plate, and some brown sludge on it. "I tried," he deadpanned, setting the small plate next to her.

"Thank you," she said, picking up the fork he had provided her. She prodded at the unrecognizable blob on her plate, deciding how she was going to try and eat it.

"Well? Uh... how'd I do?" he asked after she had taken a bite. He had found the dusty cookbook buried deep within the drawers of the kitchen. The particular recipe seemed incomplete... but he wasn't sure what was missing, so he had thrown in a few extra things. He knew how to cook... but mostly only meat products. He had never dealt with pies before.

Judy munched it a bit. "Well, you added a lot of sugar," she noted. "But I like it." She took another bite, licking her lips.

"...I've never really used sugar before," he admitted. "And there's no need to lie to me... if it's bad... I'll try again."

"No, no, it's fine! It's good enough… and I don't want to wait by myself for another hour. Time is better spent with company," she admitted, as she took another bite, stuffing her mouth.

"You basically said that it was bad..." he mumbled. _Good enough…_ he sighed internally.

"No, it's not bad, trust me," she said, swallowing, and giving him a reassuring smile before going back for more.

"All right then..." he mumbled, sitting down. He had brought a sandwich for himself and a glass of wine for both him and Judy, even if he didn't expect her to drink it. He picked up his book again as he took a bite of the sandwich, doing his best to ignore the nagging feeling that he had failed at making her a simple pie.

"So... whatchya reading?" she asked, ears standing tall on her head. The pie, although not perfect, had done its job. She felt great.

"Hamlet," he replied, flipping a page after he swallowed a chunk of the sandwich.

"Is that the one everyone dies in?" she asked, struggling to remember which one Hamlet was.

"Not everyone..." Wolfgang sighed, "Horatio doesn't die."

"Lucky him," she shrugged, not entirely sure who Horatio was. "Though I don't know how lucky he is if all his friends are dead."

"Well… he's only really a friend of Hamlet's," he explained. "And he almost kills himself, only living on to tell the story because Hamlet asked him to."

"Why did he survive then?" she asked.

"He wasn't really involved in the royal dispute," he said. "He was just sort of… there."

"He was just there… was he drawn into any violence?"

"Oh, no, Horatio is an intellectual, he values what ignorance he has of the royal dispute, and thus isn't drawn into it. He, although is definitely a friend of Hamlet's, mostly remains neutral, and doesn't allow ambition or deceit to dictate his actions."

"You seem to hold him in high regard," she observed.

"I do," was his simple response.

They lapsed back into silence, Judy awkwardly swinging her legs back and forth over the side of the table, her slice of pie long since finished. The only real sound besides the almost silent _whooshing_ of her legs moving was the subtle sound of Wolfgang flipping the pages of his book. Eventually, she decided to shatter the silence with, "So… you like reading?"

"I _love_ reading," he grinned, not looking away from his book. She blinked, she had not expected that answer. "Hamlet is my second favorite, however, but I still enjoy touching up on it every once and a while."

"I like reading too!" she said, smiling a little bit. "It's much better than turning on the TV, with all the garbage they've got on there."

"Have you read much Shakespeare? My two favorites are by him," he said, looking up from the book.

"I've read Romeo and Juliet," she replied. "Most animals like to make fun of it, but… you just have to look at it through the character's eyes."

"Indeed... though I'm more partial to Othello. It's more interesting, I fear. And... well... some animals have a point about Romeo and Juliet," he smirked.

"Oh, not you too!" she grinned, "Can't you see it's a beautiful love story?"

"Oh dear... is it? You think Hamlet has a lot of death, check the numbers for Romeo and Juliet... then try to understand what would happen if Romeo and or Juliet acted like responsible adults... or with an ounce of brain cells," he said, smirk widening on his face.

"They were madly in love," she sighed wistfully, leaning back on her paws with an amused look on her face.

"With no reasonable cause," he challenged.

"Love doesn't necessarily need a cause," she retorted with a shrug.

Wolfgang took a deep breath, "I do believe that it does, at least in this case. Six people died because of Romeo and Juliet's 'love.' Not to mention the fact that he was at least sixteen, and she was only thirteen… that's pedophilia by today's standards."

"Not by their standards," she replied. "Oh, come on, it's just a story! And one I happen to like."

"I happen to believe that it's satire on the concept of 'love at first sight.' And it pales in comparison to stories such as Othello or Hamlet. Tell me... have you read either of those?" he asked.

"No... no, I haven't."

"Well, then, I hardly think you should be allowed to speak of Shakespeare until you read them!" he grinned. "Maybe then your misplaced ideals of Romeo and Juliet will be corrected."

"My only ideals concerning the story is simply that love is a... well, a strong force. As I, myself, happened to have experienced," she sighed. "Perhaps you should read Romeo and Juliet again, and this time keep an open mind… then perhaps _your_ misplaced ideals of love can be corrected."

"Is that a challenge?" he asked, his eyes narrowing playfully.

"Yeah… yeah, it is," she grinned. "I _refuse_ to read Hamlet until you change your mind about Romeo and Juliet."

"And what if I change your mind first?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You'd have to do a damn good job convincing me otherwise…" she smirked.

"Challenge accepted," he grinned, standing from his seat, dropping the book unceremoniously on the table. He cleared his throat and spoke with quite a passion,

"O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!  
Is it not monstrous that this player here,  
But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,  
Could force his soul so to his own conceit  
That from her working all his visage waned,  
Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect,  
A broken voice, and his whole function suiting  
With forms to his conceit? And all for nothing,  
For Hecuba!  
What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,  
That he should weep for her? What would he do  
Had he the motive and the cue for passion  
That I have? He would drown the stage with tears  
And cleave the general ear with horrid speech,  
Make mad the guilty and appall the free,  
Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed  
The very faculties of eyes and ears.  
Yet I,  
A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak  
Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant for my cause,  
And can say nothing. No, not for a king,  
Upon whose property and most dear life  
A damned defeat was made. Am I a coward?  
Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across?  
Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face?  
Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i' th' throat  
As deep as to the lungs? Who does me this?  
Ha, 'swounds, I should take it, for it cannot be  
But I am pigeon-livered and lack gall  
To make oppression bitter, or ere this  
I should ha' fatted all the region kites  
With this slave's offal. Bloody, bawdy villain!  
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!  
O, vengeance!  
Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,  
That I, the son of a dear father murdered,  
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,  
Must like a whore unpack my heart with words  
And fall a-cursing like a very drab,  
A scullion! Fie upon't, foh! About, my brains.  
Hum -  
I have heard that guilty creatures sitting at a play  
Have by the very cunning of the scene  
Been struck so to the soul that presently  
They have proclaimed their malefactions.  
For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak  
With most miraculous organ. I'll have these players  
Play something like the murder of my father  
Before mine uncle. I'll observe his looks.  
I'll tent him to the quick. If 'a do blench,  
I know my course. The spirit that I have seen  
May be a devil, and the devil hath power  
T' assume a pleasing shape, yea, and perhaps  
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,  
As he is very potent with such spirits,  
Abuses me to damn me. I'll have grounds  
More relative than this. The play's the thing  
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."

He took a deep breath and collapsed back into his seat. Judy stared at him, her eyebrows raised. She had not been expecting that. "Wow... Wolfgang... that was beautiful..." she said genuinely.

He smirked slightly, "Indeed. That particular soliloquy is one of my favorites. Have I changed your mind about reading it?"

"I... maybe I will... what if we read it together one night?" she asked.

"Oh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Perhaps... actually, that would be most enjoyable, I believe." He flashed her a genuine smile, he truly loved this play.

"Reading a book with you would be very nice Wolfgang," she smiled in return. "Besides, once we're married... we should try to do things together like that."

"That seems to be an excellent idea," he admitted. "Perhaps movies... or other activities... maybe we could read Othello as well." There was that spark again... this time it felt different. It was no longer contained within his heart... he felt it course through his entire body, electrifying his mind, and shocking him to his very core. It felt... wonderful... and he wanted more.

"We will be married after all. We should at least enjoy the other's presence, right?" she asked.

"Do you not enjoy my presence?" he asked, a small smirk forming on his face, just barely noticeable to her.

"You're still my kidnapper," she pointed out, raising her eyebrows.

"That's... disappointing to hear... I've actually begun to enjoy your presence, it would seem. I do... like... talking to you," he said softly. "I don't have many animals to talk to..."

"Why not?" she asked, leaning forward.

"The animals around me are mostly collared servants... although I treat them well enough, they are too busy to take time out of their day to argue the finer points of love and justice. There is Miss Hyena, which I hardly ever get to speak to, as she is bound not to me, but to my mother... and I am thankful she was willing to let Miss Hyena come work with you. It's not like my mother wants to talk... the cancer is eating her alive at this very moment. And you've met my siblings... who would want to talk to them? It's a nice change of pace," he sighed.

"Yeah. I imagine I'm a godsend to your friend department," she giggled.

"You have no idea," Wolfgang chuckled.

"Didn't you have any friends as a child?" she asked. Surely all children had friends… or at least, they were supposed to!

"Remember how I said I was raised?" Wolfgang said softly.

"Oh... so you've never had friends?" she said, feeling the slightest twinge of pity.

"Not... really... I had slaves, who I befriended. But there was always that sense of separation between us. Miss Hyena came to us when I turned thirteen... and she and I hit it off quite well. Though... she did suffer more than the other slaves did. I was educated solely by my father, I was not allowed to go to school... and the only animals that came here were father's 'business partners.'" he explained.

"Huh," she said softly. His childhood didn't sound too fun. "Well... I guess I'll be your... friend... maybe," she muttered, suddenly confused as to where she had been going with the question.

He chuckled again, "I thought you were supposed to be my wife?" There was that spark again.

"Well... I will be, tomorrow... forever," she sighed, looking down at her lap. Where had her good mood gone?

Wolfgang frowned when he saw her saddened expression. It was getting harder and harder justifying keeping her, especially with the wedding looming just around the corner. "Look... friends would be nice. The marriage is just for show, no matter how real it may seem..." he said, though that spark protested, but relented that it was the right thing to say.

"How real will it be?" she asked, staring down at her legs as she swung them back and forth slowly.

"Besides the kiss at the service... the fact that people will refer to us as such... the rings... and, uh, the fact that you're going to have to come back to me at the end of each day... that's about it," he said, "Unless I'm forgetting something..."

"What would you be forgetting?"

"What are your opinions on my last name?" he asked.

"Oh... oh yeah, I'll have to do that too," Judy sighed. "At least Judy Fritz has a nice ring to it."

His ears flicked when he heard her say that. "Yes... it really does. Other than that, there should be nothing else."

"That's... that's everything," she mumbled. It sounded pretty real, no matter how much he said otherwise. "Wolfgang?"

"Yes?"

"So... it'll be a normal marriage," she sighed.

"Uh... to some extent, yes," Wolfgang answered.

"You know... it'll still be missing love," she shrugged.

He froze at that word, the spark seemingly halting his heart. _It can't be,_ his eyes widened. It was a good thing she wasn't looking at him, otherwise she would've seen his distress. "And... have you... fallen for me?" he asked, carefully, trying hard to make it sound sarcastic or witty... though he failed completely.

Judy glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "No. But, everything I said a few days ago, still holds true, you know. Anything can happen," she exhaled slowly.

He let out a deep sigh. "Would you believe me if I said I agree with you?" he wasn't sure what else to say. Perhaps... she was right. And that spark seemed to like it when he admitted it. No matter how much he disagreed.

"That you could fall in love with me?" she asked, her ears dropping behind her head. "You know... I've been thinking more about it... love between us is practically inevitable." _So… he finally relents,_ she mumbled internally, she had not been expecting _that_ either.

"Don't say that..." he said, but hesitated, "I... I'm not even sure anymore. You have me so confused and befuddled, I'm not even sure _what_ to think. I don't like feeling this way, Miss Hopps... unsure of myself and lost without direction. I don't want you to say it's inevitable... for you, it's Stockholm syndrome... for me, it's an impossible change of heart... both seem damning when you look at it."

"No... maybe it won't be full, romantic love but… put two animals of an opposite gender together, then force them into a position that traditionally demands love, then fulfill every other role required by marriage... it'll probably be me first, actually. You know us bunnies… always in heat," she sighed frowned.

"Do you actually believe that?" he said. "And, if so... will that force our relationship towards something more... well... _more_?" he gulped.

"Yes, Wolfgang… I actually believe that," she admitted, though she didn't answer his second question. "Anything… can happen."

"But what does that mean? For us, what does that mean?" Wolfgang asked, suddenly concerned. He had… given her ground, and now he was searching for answers. If he was to relent completely, as she believed was truly possible, then he _needed_ to know what to expect.

"For us… who knows? That my kidnapping could become... the best thing that ever happened to me," her tone soured quickly as she grimaced. Even _she_ didn't believe the words that had left her mouth.

Wolfgang felt his tail curl at her tone and he let out a sigh, "Don't say that... I just... let's drop it, all right?"

"All right," she relented, shifting a bit on the table. The hard wood was starting to become uncomfortable, and once again she was presented with the conundrum of how to regain comfort. "Let's get back to the happy marriage part," she suggested, managing a small smile. _Happy marriage? Where did that come from…_ she wondered briefly, but tucked it away.

Wolfgang returned the smile and said, "Well... we have about three hours until my siblings show up for dinner... what would you like to talk about?"

"Oh... I don't know. Maybe we can discuss how the wedding will go. I mean... how are we going to do it?" she asked.

"Well... oh... I have no idea," he mumbled. "I've never been to a wedding..." _You idiot... aren't there usually practices, or something? So everyone knows what to do?_ he growled to himself.

"Well, there won't be very many animals there... so I guess we'll walk to the altar... or wherever it is... and you'll be holding my chain," she gestured at the collar around her neck. "Then we say _I do_ to the priest or whoever it is asks us... you know, taking oaths."

"That reminds me... we need to get a priest," he mumbled to himself, storing that information for later, as well as a photographer, as she had said they needed one as well. _Oh… and the rings, shit,_ he sighed internally. "Uh... aren't you supposed to be led down the aisle by someone else? Er... what was is... handed off to me?" he asked.

"Oh yeah... usually the bride is supposed to be lead down by her father," she explained.

"And you said you didn't wish for your parents to come, or even know what was happening," he said. "Has that changed? Or would you like Miss Hyena to lead you down the aisle?"

"Let's just have Miss Hyena do it... I don't want my parents to know yet," she said quietly.

"Very well... you do know that we will be removing the chain and the collar before the wedding, right?" he asked softly. He still wasn't entirely sure _why_ she was so adamant about her parents not knowing… but maybe knowing the collar would be off for the wedding would make her feel better.

"You'll be taking the collar off for the wedding?" she asked, looking up at him.

"It was never supposed to be permanent... my mother believed it would allow me to keep you close to me at all times, so that you would not run away... but as you can see, I never found it necessary. Yes, the collar will be removed for the wedding, and it will remain off afterwards," he explained.

"I thought that you were only going to take the chain off," she said. "And it was supposed to prevent me from running… like a tracker or something."

"I have since decided against that. Miss Hyena will be accompanying you when you go out, she is as good as any tracker," he said. "Besides... you know how I feel about collars of any kind."

Judy raised an eyebrow. "Then wouldn't it be extremely easy for me to escape? A bunny can certainly outrun a hyena, if done right. I could be out of there in a flash, warn Nick and escape this forever," she grinned.

"Then I _annihilate_ your city with a single word... I assure you, Miss Hopps, the collar is not necessary. And you shouldn't discount Miss Hyena either, she can be quite quick on her feet," he chuckled. "I do not wish to make this a threat, but if you plan on escaping, then I shall just lock you away here. I do not want to do that... please don't mention escaping again..."

She exhaled slowly, right… she had forgotten about that. "How would you lock me up, anyways?" she asked, her grin vanishing.

"Don't make me describe it to you," he whispered. "I say that the collar is not necessary, but your words make it seems as if it is... I give you freedom to move about the city with only Miss Hyena as a guide, and my eyes and ears, and yet you tell me you would escape... I give you the benefit of the doubt, never _once_ have I truly believed you would run from me... and yet you continue to spout _bullshit_ like this!" She blinked… he didn't curse often.

"My siblings are going to try, once again, to convince you to run from me, to force my paw, to do _something_ to get their way. Sister doesn't have a shot anymore, but she finds it fun... brother is competitive, but as long as we both keep a calm head, he can do nothing to us. Don't force my paw like they try to... I may have to take real action," he said, his voice tapering off at the end.

"Oh yeah? Describe it to me then. Maybe I won't mention escaping from this if you tell me what exactly what will happen to me," she said, crossing her arms.

He gave her a hurt look, but let out a deep sigh. "I would start with something simple, confinement to the house, where I would continue to allow you to roam around the premises with Miss Hyena, though you would not be allowed outside. Try and escape again, and I will put the collar back on. Again, and I will confine you to your room... again... and... I will chain you to the bed so that you may rot your days away," he said slowly, through gritted teeth.

"Be thankful I am not my siblings, nor my parents, otherwise you would start losing body parts. Perhaps one of your ears, or fingers... perhaps your entire paw for your second attempt. Maybe a leg. You only have to remain alive, not be happy..." he shook his head slowly.

Judy looked down at her lap. "All right... I won't try to escape," she relented with a sigh.

"Thank you..." he sighed. "I _want_ to trust you, I _want_ to let you be as free as possible... I _want_ you to find whatever solace you can in this life. It doesn't have to be, 'you only need to remain alive'..."

"You really don't need to trust me," she shrugged, "You just need to threaten me."

"That sounds awful, Miss Hopps... you're forcing me to be the bad guy here," he said softly, "Is that fair, after everything you've learned about me?"

"But you _are_ the bad guy here," she said. "You know that."

"Oh, Miss Hopps... do you really think it's that simple? Is it that easy to you to point your finger at me and say 'he's the bad guy?' After all you've learned about me... even if only a little bit?" he asked, slight smirk rising on his face.

"There are varying levels of evil," she replied. "I guess I'm lucky you aren't that bad. As bad as you _could be_. I suppose you're right that I'm lucky I got you and not one of your siblings…"

He snorted. "Well, I guess that's better than nothing. You really have no idea..." he trailed off. It wasn't something she needed to be aware of, she got the idea.

"Anyways… thanks for lunch and the conversation... I guess," she said, as she jumped off the table. Each time they met here, she lost a little bit more of herself. She wasn't so sure of it at first… but now…

"Of course... would you like me to walk you back to your room? We have time to kill before dinner," he said. "Perhaps we could start Hamlet..."

"Reading Hamlet would be very nice Wolfgang," she smiled sweetly.

"Excellent," he returned the smile and began walking to their room, her right beside him. He didn't bother going for the chain... he didn't need it.

XXX

"Well this is boring," Nick sighed, setting the binoculars down for what seemed like the thousandth time. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, how had he become so exhausted so quickly? They had yet to find anything... they couldn't even see the supposed snipers on the roof. They had nothing.

He and Shenzi had parked their unmarked car a couple hundred meters away from the purple mansion, hoping to see through the windows with binoculars. Although the windows weren't blocked, there wasn't any movement. Even though they had been here for several hours.

"But isn't it necessary?" Shenzi asked, poking her head out of the window.

"Yeah... but it's still boring," he mumbled. Stakeouts weren't something he and Judy did often. He became tired easily, relying on copious amounts of coffee... which never ended well for him, and she had a constant desire to move around after long periods of sitting... which became annoying for both of them. They hadn't done very many before Bogo stopped assigning them to the duo.

"Maybe we need to have another way of finding who's in the house," Shenzi suggested, sticking her head back into the car. "Couldn't we talk to someone who could know about the Mean Wolf?"

Nick rubbed his eyes. "I don't know... maybe." He sighed softly as he held up his cup of coffee... empty. Damn it. "Well, we're going to have to..." he trailed off, "Wait a minute..."

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I _do_ know someone who might know a bit more about this Wolfgang bastard!" he announced, a huge smile rising on his face.

"Who?"

"Judy and I happen to be on good terms with a different crime lord by the name of Mr. Big... there might be a chance he knows Wolfgang, if he has Judy or not... or if there's anything we might be able to charge the bastard with," Nick continued to grin.

"Oh... so, that's good news?" she asked. Nick started the car and she buckled her seatbelt, though he didn't even bother.

"Well… there might be a small problem," he admitted.

"What problem, Nice Fox?" she asked as he pulled the car out of its parking spot and drove towards the Tundra Biome.

"We're going to have to get you a heavy jacket... because he lives in the Tundra Biome," he explained.

"That's okay Nice Fox, I have fur," she said. "It's okay if I'm cold, I don't want to slow you down."

"No... you're adapted to very warm climates, your fur is quite thin... you could easily get hypothermia. We have to get you something heavy to wear..." he trailed off as he pulled up to a store on the edge of town, right before the change in biomes. It sold almost exclusively winter wear to animals of all shapes and sizes. They would just have to find something in her size. "Besides, we're coming in unannounced, so it's not like we have a schedule to keep," he mumbled.

"All right..." she mumbled, as they hopped out of the car. The store they entered was of modest size, but was chocked full of different winter wear for those animals wishing to visit Tundra Town, but had no protection against the cold.

"Pick out something you like," Nick smiled reassuringly. Shenzi nodded and looked around. She licked her lips slowly as she stared at several different jackets, unsure of which one to pick. Or how thick it should be… the thicker ones costed more, and she didn't want to burden the Nice Fox.

In the end, she chose a bright pink, cheap winter coat, despite Nick urging her to pick a thicker one. She assured him that she would be fine, and he paid for it. "Thanks for the coat Nice Fox," she gave him a warm smile, as they climbed back into their car.

"You're welcome, Spots," he said as he pulled into the tundra biome. He noticed that she was starting to sweat, so he turned off the heater and turned on the air conditioning, "Don't worry, it's going to be a lot colder outside."

They parked outside of a mansion, though not quite as extravagant as Wolfgang's. The duo got out of the car and Shenzi immediately began shivering, suddenly wishing she had picked a thicker coat. "Y-y-you were r-right N-n-nice Fox," she said, her teeth chattering.

"Zip up, it's not much warmer inside," he grumbled. They walked to the front door and he pounded as hard as he could with the brass door knocker.

Shenzi looked up at the imposing mansion as they waited for the door to be answered. "It's almost scary," she whispered.

"Well... Mr. Big is an imposing man," Nick explained. One of the many polar bears Mr. Big kept around as guards opened the door, and Shenzi gulped apprehensively from his sheer size. The polar bear raised an eyebrow when Nick waved at him, but led them inside nonetheless.

"Just stay calm, Mr. Big and I are on... good enough terms. And he likes Judy, so there's a good chance he will help us," Nick whispered to her as they were led into Mr. Big's office.

They entered the room with the desk and trapdoor, and stood in front of one of the most powerful animals in all the city. Mr. Big. The Arctic shrew held up his tiny paw so that Nick could kiss his ring, which the fox did. "Mr. Big, thank you for seeing us... uh, without notice," he said, standing up straight. Shenzi couldn't help but stare at the small shrew. This was a powerful crime lord?

"It was truly no problem," the shrew said, Shenzi blinking at his thick accent. "What brings you to my home?"

"I'm afraid that... Judy might be in a bit of a situation," Nick admitted. "Have you heard of a crime lord by the name of Wolfgang?"

"Ah, Wolfgang!" the tiny crime lord grinned. "I have done business with him, yes... he is quite a competent wolf."

Nick wasn't sure whether to be happy that Mr. Big knew the wolf, or upset that he paid the bastard a compliment. "You see... I'm pretty sure he's kidnapped Judy, and plans to... uh, marry her," Nick explained.

Mr. Big raised his eyebrows. "Well... that wolf was always eccentric… I could see him doing something like that... though I wouldn't know why he would go for your partner," he explained.

"I have no clue either," Nick sighed. "It doesn't make any sense... is there anything you can think of that might make his actions make sense?" If anything, perhaps he could better understand this Wolfgang. All the easier to destroy him with...

"As I said, Wolfgang is a bit eccentric," Mr. Big explained. "But… I doubt he would be doing something like this just because he feels like it. His family is built upon a strict hierarchy, and I know his mother is in poor condition at the moment… so he would be eligible to take his family's empire. Perhaps… this is some sort of condition."

Nick's eyes widened as he remembered Gerry saying something similar. _Shit,_ he grumbled to himself. "...Well that's a start. And it still doesn't justify him for kidnapping Judy," he growled. "Is there any way you could help us get her back? Or maybe give us something we can use to arrest him with?"

"Wolfgang is a good friend, when it comes to business. I can hardly let you harm a business partner! But I grieve for the fate of Judy... but perhaps there is some hope for you to rescue her. As I said, his mother is not much longer for this world and they will hold a lavish funeral. It will be your _only_ chance," the shrew explained.

Nick let out a defeated sigh. At least... he would have a chance to get her back. "Will you tell me when the funeral is?" Nick asked softly. He may be too late to save Judy from marriage, as it seemed likely this Wolfgang would hold the wedding before his mother died, but he _would_ save her.

"I can do that… at the very least. After all… I am expected to be present," Mr. Big said

"Thank you very much, Mr. Big," the fox said, bowing slightly. He backed slowly out of the room with Shenzi in tow. Mr. Big had one of his guards escort them out of the building and watch them leave the premises.

"Well... shit," Nick sighed as he drove away from the mansion. He had been hoping Mr. Big would be more helpful than that… such as setting up a meeting with Wolfgang and demanding he release Judy. But… this excursion wasn't entirely purposeless… he was now more sure than ever Wolfgang had Judy. Although… he still didn't have concrete proof.

"Isn't this good?" Shenzi asked, taking off the winter coat. She tossed the apparel onto the back seat, she probably wouldn't be needing it again.

"I'm not sure... we have a chance, now, I suppose... but I can only imagine what is happening to her while we wait for his mother to die," he sighed.

"What could be happening to her?" she asked, not sure of what he meant.

"We've gotten... vague reports of this Wolfgang character. Mr. Big seems to hold him in high regard, but they are business partners to some extent. Bogo and Gerry both said that he was sly and dangerous respectively... I just don't know what he might be doing to her. What if he's chained her to a pole? Or not given her food or clothes... or worse," he tacked on quietly at the end.

Shenzi blinked, she knew exactly what that was like. "What's worse than that?" she asked, shivering slightly. She _did_ know what was worse than that… but she hoped that wasn't what the Nice Fox meant.

"What if he's forced himself on her? I... can't stand to think about it..." tears sprung up in his eyes, but he fought them back. He had to stay strong... he had hope now.

"Oh... that's really bad," she all but whispered. She certainly hoped Nice Carrots wasn't being hurt like that. Hurt like _she_ had been.

XXX

Judy and Wolfgang left their room, having spent the past three hours reading Hamlet. "That was nice," Judy looked up at him as she managed to keep pace with his long legs, smiling widely.

"Indeed, you make for a wonderful Ophelia... I'm sorry about what happens to you," he smiled slightly.

"Don't worry. It's only a story, I won't go mad anytime soon," she chuckled as they walked towards the dining room.

"And I certainly hope you don't kill yourself..." he trailed off. There was that spark again. Would he be devastated if she killed herself? And, if he was... would it be because he was no longer eligible for the throne... or because he cared for her?

"Now that... I'm definitely never going to do," she said as they made it into the dining room. The room was empty except for three guards. They were quite a bit early for dinner, as his mother would only show up the moment dinner was ready to be served, and his siblings would be at least ten minutes late, or more.

He let out a sigh of frustration. They had made it to the final act of Hamlet, and yet he had decided to cut it short so they could be early for dinner. What a mistake that was… as they would be sitting here with nothing more than the wolf guards for company as they waited for his mother and his siblings.

He led her over to the table, pulling out a chair for her. She had noticed that he always sat at the head of the table when they had lunch together, but he always sat to the right of the head when they had dinner… even if his mother wasn't present. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but climbed into the seat he had pulled out for her nonetheless.

He padded over to his seat, but paused when he heard the kitchen door open. He looked over at the entrance to the kitchen as another wolf made his way into the dining room. Wolfgang's eyebrow rose as he laid eyes on the wolf. He was wearing a nice suit, but not a collar… Wolfgang didn't recognize him.

Judy looked over at the wolf as he walked right past the security guards, raising no alarm between the three of them. She looked up at Wolfgang, wondering why his eyes had narrowed at the nicely dressed wolf. She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out as she saw the non-collared wolf reach into his jacket and pull out a silenced pistol, aiming right at her.

Wolfgang reacted without thinking, moving quickly so that his body covered hers, as she was still processing what was going on by the time the wolf pulled the trigger. Three shots were fired from the pistols, hardly making a sound as they struck Wolfgang in the back, right where Judy's head would have been, had he not protected her.

He let out a loud gasp and dropped to his knees, his head barely hovering over hers. Her ears dropped back behind her head when she comprehended what had just happened as she stared at him, eyes wide. Blood leaked from his mouth as he stared at her in shock. _He had just been shot. And she very well could have been killed._

XXX

 **Ah ha, ha… cliffhanger! Surely Wolfgang isn't dead! Right? I mean… that would be a pretty lame way to escape, right? Wolfgang is killed by an assassin and Judy can just waltz away. Though, it didn't look like that assassin was aiming for Wolfgang…**

 **And we finally get to see Mr. Big… it won't be the last time we hear from him, however. And Nick still doesn't have concrete proof, but he's already made up his mind. Wolfgang's mother's funeral is definitely going to be interesting… if Wolfgang lives long enough to see it! All that and more, next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Delirium:

Author's Note:

 **So… yeah, I'm sure none of you fell for Wolfgang dying. So maybe that cliffhanger was a bit of a waste. But it divided the chapter, so we didn't have a** ** _14k_** **instead of only a 7k, so in a way, it was less editing for me. And that meant that I could get** ** _both_** **these chapters out this week, instead of only one! Anyways… please, enjoy!**

XXX

Judy stared at Wolfgang, fear flashing across her face. The gunman turned and dealt with the three guards, who had just started to react by drawing weapons of their own. He emptied his clip into them, killing them before they could even fire off a single round. Wolfgang's breath was labored as he fought back the pain, " _Defend us,_ " he gasped out as he heard the telling sound of the gunman dropping the empty clip to the floor so he could load a new one into his pistol.

She swallowed, but her active shooter training kicked in. She reached down and drew his weapon from its holster on his side. She lifted the massive handcannon and brought it to bear on the assassin by balancing it on Wolfgang's shoulder. The assassin had just reloaded and was turning to finish the job, but she was ready. Firing the weapon several times, she managed to hit him on his chest and his legs, knocking the assassin to the ground.

Thinking quickly, she catapulted over Wolfgang's kneeling form, letting his gun drop to the ground. She bolted over to the assassin and slid across the floor, kicking the silenced pistol away from him. The wolf attempting to get up off the ground, to engage the weaker bunny, or run before more security came, she didn't know. But she reacted quickly, leaping, and twisting in the air to roundhouse him across his muzzle before he made it up.

She could feel his jaws give way to her as she kicked him, the sound of bone cracking audible to her and her alone. The wolf let out a groan, the only sound he had made so far, and collapsed back to the floor, spitting blood, and loose teeth from his maw.

She took deep breaths, her paws shaking from the recoil of firing that weapon. She turned to see Wolfgang breathing deeply as he fought back the pain. Concern flashed across her face as he pushed himself off the ground, managing to stand despite the holes in his back. She cringed as he bent over to pick up the weapon Judy had dropped, pain clear on his face.

 _That gun is almost too big for_ _ **his**_ _paws,_ she noted as he stumbled towards the assassin, who was still disoriented on the ground. She couldn't help but take a step forward, as if to help him, when he dropped to his knees again, his weapon clattering against the ground once more. He took a deep breath as he tried to force himself to stand again, but he never made it to his feet. With a loud groan, he fell against the floor, rolling over to lie on his back.

Blood poured from the bullet holes, staining the nice wooden floor red where he laid. He did not look good. She had expected him to be wearing some sort of bulletproof vest, as he was cautious, but he was wearing no such thing. He glared at the assassin as the assassin glared back, regaining some awareness, though he did not move from the ground. "Judy…" Wolfgang's voice was nothing more than a harsh whisper as he tried to get her attention.

She sucked in a breath when she heard his voice, it sounded so… _weak_. Not at all the deep baritone she had gotten used to over the past three days. He no longer sounded like her invincible, indomitable, infallible captor… he sounded more like a dog that had just been beaten. "Yes?" she asked, looking down at him. For the first time… she was finally above him.

"Judy…" he repeated softly, "I need you to kill him."

She blinked at his request, she hadn't expected that. She had thought he might ask her to call for backup, or to help remove the bullets that were surely still lodged in his back… but he instead wanted her to kill… the assassin? "Don't… don't you need him alive to interrogate?" she asked, hoping to find some reason not to end the other wolf's life.

"I already know who sent him," he chuckled weakly. "His life no longer serves any purpose… he has failed. Kill him."

"W-why me?" she asked, looking down at Wolfgang's firearm that had landed not far from its owner. She could just as easily kill _him_ instead and run.

He mumbled something, but was interrupted by a bout of coughing, blood leaking from his mouth as he stared at the ceiling. "I… am not strong enough… at the moment," he growled out. He had been extremely weakened by those bullets, as much as it hurt to admit it. If they had struck just a little bit higher, they might've hit his lungs or pierced his heart. "You… must… do… it," he said, taking deep breaths between each word. He was struggling not to just pass out from the pain.

She grimaced, but picked up Wolfgang's weapon, hoisting it up off the ground. She padded over to the assassin and pointed the firearm at his head. He only glared up at her, fear not evident on his face. She paused, but he did not take advantage of her hesitance. He had failed, and death was what he would face even if he escaped. Closing her eyes, she bit her lip, but pulled the trigger nonetheless.

The recoil from the weapon nearly knocked her off her feet, but it did wrench the gun from her paws. The sound of blood and brain matter splattering across the ground was sickening to her, especially since she was so close. She was lucky not to get any of the mess on her. Heaving a sigh, she walked back over to Wolfgang, who was still lying face-up on the floor.

He made no comments towards her brutality, nor the fact that he had finally gotten her to pull the trigger… _mercy_ in his eyes. Rather, he only sucked in a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, "Help me… get this damn shirt off… you're going to have to… remove… the bullets."

"Right," she muttered, helping him sit up. She removed his suit jacket and tossed it aside before working on his white, button-up shirt. He groaned in pain as she helped him lie back down, this time face-down so she could get a better look at the entrance holes. She let out a sigh, all three bullets were lodged inside of him, but he was lucky… it didn't look like any of the wounds would be fatal. At least to her untrained eye.

"I'm going to get Miss Hyena," she said, standing up and bolting away in the most likely direction the hyena was in. Wolfgang lied on the floor, pain starting to get to him, as he waited for her to return with Miss Hyena. He took deep breaths and focused on ignoring the pain as he saw Judy and a concerned hyena run back into the dining room out of the corner of his eye.

He saw that the hyena was carrying a sizable pair of tweezers and a roll of medical gauze, he was so concentrated on her that he nearly missed Judy kneeling in front of his head. "Here, bite down on this," she ordered, shoving a wad of cloth into his mouth.

He mumbled something around the cloth, but she ignored what he had said, walking around his side, and taking the pair of tweezers from Miss Hyena's paws. The hyena kneeled as well, and pressed down lightly on Wolfgang's back, ready to keep him still if he started to struggle. Judy snapped the tweezers together a few times before moving to the first bullet hole.

His eyes widened and he let out a howl of pain, muffled by the cloth in his mouth, as Judy dug into one of the holes and pulled out the first bullet. He panted hard as the ruined chunk of metal hit the floor with a soft _clank_. _One down… two to go…_ he growled internally as Judy went for the next bullet.

The other two clinked when they hit the ground as Judy pulled them free from his flesh. Each hurt like hell, and caused him to cry out in pain, but it was over before he knew it. He spat out the rag as Miss Hyena helped prop him up so Judy could wrap his torso with the medical gauze.

She worked in silence, scowl quickly gracing her features as she wrapped the tape around him. _Why am I even fucking helping him?_ she wondered internally as she glanced up to see him giving her a blank stare. He had kidnapped her! And now she was patching his wounds as if she actually fucking cared if he bled out or not.

"Judy…" Wolfgang's harsh whisper came just as she finished wrapping his torso with the tape. He leaned against Miss Hyena, the hyena doing her best to keep him from collapsing to the ground again.

"Yes?" she sighed, exhaling deeply in relief… she hadn't messed up. Despite her internal struggle, she was relieved that she was able to help him. Even if she really shouldn't have…

"I know what you're thinking," he said, head lolling to the side, despite Miss Hyena's best efforts to keep it upright. She looked up at him, panic gracing her features before she quickly stuffed it away. _Had he sensed my distress?_ she wondered as she waited for him to continue. " _Would… would shooting me be mercy?_ " he asked softly, still giving her that blank stare.

She blinked as she heard his words. That was… almost exactly what she had been thinking. She looked over at Miss Hyena to see her eye twitch once before going absolutely still. "I… you're right…" Judy admitted, glancing over at his discarded weapon. She licked her lips and muttered, "It's now or never… isn't it?"

"I wouldn't blame you," he said, no longer able to lift his head to look at her. "I'd kill me…" Judy glared at him and looked over at Miss Hyena, who said nothing. With a low growl, she paced over to his weapon, picking it up off the ground, and walking back over to him.

"This is my only chance… isn't it? If I kill you now… the ZPD would still run because you wouldn't be there to destroy it. You wouldn't be there to tell them to kill Nick. And… all that would be left is to kill your siblings… and ambush would almost be too easy," she all but whispered, bringing the massive gun to bear on Wolfgang. "It's now or… never."

"Mmm," the wolf hummed in agreement. He seemed so… out of it… as if he didn't quite understand what was happening. _Has he lost it?_ she wondered. Miss Hyena still did nothing to stop or incite her to carry out the deed. She no longer seemed calm, however. Her breath was starting to come in and out quicker, as if she was silently hyperventilating, panicking at the thought of Judy shooting Wolfgang.

Judy cocked the hammer back, staring at him with an impassive expression. Though her face was calm, her paws were trembling, her entire body shaking at the thought of killing Wolfgang. _Why… why is this so hard?!_ she cried internally. "It's _now_ or… _never_ ," she repeated herself through gritted teeth, frown breaking through her mask.

He seemed to smile at her, neither impeding nor provoking a response. Did he want this? Or was he just delirious and could no longer function properly? She barely even considered either of those options, the gun quivering in her paws. She likely would miss from even point-blank range.

She swallowed hard and closed her eyes as she prepared to pull the trigger. But the minutes ticked by… and she found herself still standing there, unable to kill Wolfgang. "Oh… _fuck!_ " she yelled out, tossing the gun away. It landed on the ground and skirted across the tile.

"You owe me, Wolfgang! You owe me for this!" she shouted, seemingly furious. " _Fuck_ … what the hell am I doing?" her voice dropped to nothing more than a whisper as she realized she had just _thrown_ escape away.

"What indeed?" Wolfgang coughed out. Miss Hyena helped him stand by balancing him on her shoulder. He coughed up blood again, though he didn't fall, as the hyena kept him upright. "We'll… talk about this later… Judy. For now… please go to our room… follow Miss Hyena's instructions when she comes for you…"

Judy watched as he and Miss Hyena walked away, leaving her alone in the dining room with a dead body and a confused expression. _Was this a test… or was he just delirious?_ she wondered to herself before walking towards her room, dejected expression in place.

XXX

Judy let out a sigh as the minutes ticked by. She had betrayed Nick… that had been her last chance. And she hadn't taken it. Tomorrow she was marrying Wolfgang… and she had thrown away her last chance to stop it. She wondered briefly if Nick would forgive her… if she got to see him again.

She burrowed herself underneath the blankets, waiting for the hyena to come for her. Eventually, a half-hour passed and the door opened to allow Miss Hyena to walk into the room, shutting the door behind her. "Miss Hopps?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, as she could not see the rabbit.

Judy poked her head out from underneath the covers, her ears sagging. "…Yes?" she asked drearily.

"I, uh… want to start by thanking you for not killing Wolfgang," the hyena said, pushing her fingers together. "I know it may seem as if you've doomed yourself, but he _is_ grateful… though he did mumble something about saving your life first…"

"He took bullets for me," Judy sighed. "I guess that makes us even. But I didn't kill him, when I _really_ should have. He owes me, I swear."

Miss Hyena chuckled slightly, "And I'm sure he plans on making it up to you. But, for now, I have been informed to take you to dinner."

"Okay," Judy said quietly as the hyena took her chain.

"Yeah... fair warning, he's up and moving around, and he's furious, so please try not to upset him," the hyena mumbled as she led Judy out of her room.

"Right…" the rabbit sighed. She didn't plan on making him upset. Deep down… she was worried about her future husband.

The duo walked into the dining room to see everyone already gathered, though the food had yet to be set out. Wolfgang was standing and Judy immediately noticed he was not wearing a shirt. Though, he did slip his jacket over the gauze. "He refused to put on a shirt," Miss Hyena explained when she received a questioning glance from Judy.

The white wolf noticed their presence immediately. Despite the fact he was leaning against his chair, he was shifting from foot to foot, almost… anxiously. "Ah, Miss Hyena, Miss Hopps… now everyone is here. Please, sit down," he growled, pulling out a chair for Judy.

Judy swallowed quietly and sat down on the chair provided, next to Wolfgang's brother, neither of them oblivious to the white wolf's fury. "Brother… what the hell happened to you?" the male gray wolf asked.

Wolfgang paced around the table, passing by his mother. "I have been shot several times, dear brother," he hissed. The brother's eyes widened in surprise, but Wolfgang's sister only grinned. Judy and Miss Hyena looked down at the table, they were unsure of what was going to happen… but whatever it was… it wasn't going to be good.

"But I was not the target… Miss Hopps was," he growled, "Which means… someone is seeking to prevent me from ascending to the throne. And the only animals I can think of that would want that… are in this room."

He came to a stop behind his sister, placing his paws on the chair she sat on. Although a wide smirk presented itself on her face, she did not look up at him. "Sister? What about you? You seemed to have a… vested interest in my chosen partner," he hissed, glaring down at her.

The brother gulped, hoping that sister would admit to sending the assassin… he didn't want to be the target of Wolfgang's wrath. Though, predictably, Kat only chuckled, her sharpened teeth bared, "Why would I want to kill your little pet?"

"You are fully aware of what I am going to do with you the moment I take the throne," he hissed, leaning down so that his head hovered over her sitting form. "It only makes sense that you would advocate for a different candidate, considering that you refuse to get married. Brother is much more lenient with you…"

"But brother, dear!" his sister grinned, "I'm hardly the villain here… I sent no one to kill your bunny. As you know… if I wanted her dead… _I would do it myself._ " She stared at Judy, licking her lips slowly before letting out a loud cackle at the rabbit's disgusted expression.

Wolfgang rolled his eyes, "Fair point, I suppose." He padded back around the table, passing by his mother, and going to stand behind his brother's chair, just as he did his sister's, setting his paws on top of the chair. "And what about you? What do _you_ have to say for yourself?"

The brother swallowed again. _Shit,_ he thought. "I've got motive, sure… but I wouldn't go as far as to kill your bride!"

"And, why wouldn't you?" Wolfgang asked, smirk rising on his face. Despite being the youngest, he was by far the most powerful, and although sister couldn't feel fear… brother very much could.

"Because I know what you'd do if I did," the brother growled, grimacing. He looked down at his plate, refusing to look Wolfgang in his eyes. "Believe me… I didn't send any assassin!"

"You know what I'd do if you did, huh?" the white wolf muttered. Slowly and deliberately, he pulled one of his firearms from its holster and aimed it, not at his brother, but instead at his brother's wife's head. "You are absolutely correct, if you killed Judy… I would kill _her._ I want you to be _aware_ of that, brother… _her_ fate hangs in the balance. If Judy dies, this whore dies as well. And you!" he snarled, glaring at his sister, who's grin only widened as he brandished his weapon towards her.

"Yes, brother?" she asked, licking her lips in anticipation. As if she _wanted_ Wolfgang to shoot her.

"Don't think I won't kill any half-witted, traumatized, plaything of yours either! Miss Hopps is _off limits!_ " he roared. Kat chuckled, but nodded slowly. Wolfgang brought the gun back to bear on his brother's wife, hammer pulled back.

Judy watched him grow angrier and angrier, extremely glad she wasn't the subject of his wrath. As he was truly terrifying when furious. "I… I understand. Now, please take the gun away from her head," the brother growled through gritted teeth.

"Oh no… dear brother, I do believe this is a lesson you must learn upfront. And I feel as if she will be an _excellent_ example to others in the future," Wolfgang snarled, pressing the weapon against the leopardess' head. "So I shall take her from you."

The brother's eyes widened almost comically before they narrowed dangerously. "Like _hell_ you will!" he shouted, reaching down to his side to get to his firearm.

But it was already too late, Wolfgang had drawn his second gun and placed it underneath his brother's chin before he could even _draw_ his weapon. Wolfgang was faster, and was expecting his brother to pull a gun on him… it was impossible for the older brother to outmatch his younger sibling. "You lose again, dear brother," the white wolf hissed.

"Vulfgang!" came the harsh grunt in a deep accent from the end of the table, giving both male wolfs pause. Wolfgang's ear flicked in annoyance as he turned to see his mother starting sternly at him.

"Yes, mother?" he hissed, though he did not remove his firearms from either his brother's throat or from the back of the leopardess' head.

"Enough of your squabbling!" the elder Fritz growled, "Remove your veapons." She turned to cough into her paw the moment she gave them a command. She was almost too weak to even talk.

"Very well, mother," the white wolf sighed, holstering his weapons, and padding away from his brother. The leopardess breathed a heavy sigh of relief and placed a paw against her chest. Wolfgang's brother put a comforting paw on her shoulder and shot her a look that clearly asked, _are you all right?_ To which, the leopardess only nodded.

Wolfgang collapsed back into his seat next to Judy with a loud groan, his injuries inflaming as he changed from standing to sitting. But the pain eventually faded. "I am serious, if any of you attempt to harm Miss Hopps again… I will bring this family crashing to the ground. If none of us are eligible for the throne, then it passes off to a cousin or other relative who does qualify. And I know neither of you wish to live underneath the heel of someone you consider inferior," he growled.

Dinner was served quickly after thing settled down. Wolfgang glared occasionally at his sister, who only waved back at him, insane grin still on her face, and at his brother, who returned the glare with equal malice. Wolfgang's mother only worsened throughout the dinner, she couldn't stop coughing into her paw, and eventually she had to be escorted out of the room.

XXX

Although his mother had left prematurely, the other two siblings stayed behind to finish dinner, before leaving as well. Leaving Wolfgang alone with Judy and Miss Hyena. He was up on his feet again, helping the collared hyena pick up the dirty dishes his siblings had left behind. "So… how are you feeling?" Judy couldn't stop herself from asking.

"I… am fine," Wolfgang hissed as he handed another dish to Miss Hyena. Judy watched him limp around to the other side of the table to gather more dirty dishes. He did not look fine.

"Wolfgang... you really don't seem all right. You need to rest, you need to be at your full strength for the wedding tomorrow... I don't want it ruined because you were too sore to walk down to the altar," she said, concern flashing through her violet eyes.

He gave her an odd look before bursting out laughing, "That's cute. You're worried about me being sore? Don't be. I thought we agreed, we'd both be miserable during the service... that's why we bought expensive, very strong wine." He grinned, but that spark couldn't help but take notice that she seemed genuinely concerned for him. So, he relented, at least a little bit. "If it makes you feel any better... we can go straight to bed when I'm done here, I won't do any more moving about after this."

"Look, it's not concern for you, it's concern for me! I can't have you ruining the most beautiful day of my life!" she grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

He chuckled again as he handed the last plate to Miss Hyena, who nodded in return and headed off to the kitchen to wash the grime from them. "I will be fine... after some much needed rest. If it makes you feel better... I may take some medication tomorrow," he conceded.

"You should take medication anyways," Judy crossed her arms.

He snorted, "Very well... since you seem so concerned for my health, I will take the appropriate medication."

"You should be concerned for your own health, I shouldn't be fussing over you," she retorted, hopping down from the chair, and pacing around to stand beside him.

"Well… I've never been concerned for myself much," he admitted. "I've always been hands-on, per se, and I've learned to ignore the many injuries I have accumulated over the years from fencing and other… violent activities. So… perhaps I need someone like you to remind me to care about myself. Isn't that one of the jobs of a wife?"

"Yes, it is, but only while you act like an idiot," she grumbled, glaring up at him. She couldn't _believe_ he was roping her into actually _caring_ about him! And yet… she was starting to concede.

"An idiot?" he held a paw against his chest in mock offense. "Am I acting like an idiot now... for helping Miss Hyena clean up after my family? For agreeing that I will take medication, regardless of how I'm feeling? For agreeing to actually sleep tonight?"

"No... you weren't going to take medicine until I insisted you should. I guess I'll certainly play the role of the wife in that department," she said, jumping up in the table next to where he was standing.

"And I thank you for that..." he sighed. "So... do you think I should cancel fencing on Thursday?" he grinned slightly from the obviously stupid question.

Judy raised her eyebrows in amusement. "I think you should," she replied.

"Damn... I'm sure he'll get a kick out of my excuse though," he chuckled, "I'm sorry Janja... I've been shot!" Judy blinked in confusion, was he feeling all right? This behavior... seems a bit… off. Maybe he's still delirious from the pain. "Maybe I can make it up to him by inviting him to the wedding…" he mumbled.

"Yeah, whatever. As your fussy wife, it's only good for you," she said.

"I suppose so..." he trailed off as a loud doorbell echoed through the house. His ears flicked in annoyance. "I suppose you want me to ask someone else to answer that?" he grumbled, he wasn't used to just delegating every single task to someone else.

"No, I'll get it," she said, hopping down from the table. At this point she had wrapped the chain on the collar around her waist like a belt, it was better than having to hold it wherever she went. She made her way towards the door, pausing when she wondered how she was supposed to open it… when the handle was three feet over her head.

Grumbling to herself, she clearly had not thought this through, she glanced around, trying to find something she could use to jump on. Spotting a small table with a lamp on it, she decided it was enough, and pulled it over to the door, just as the doorbell echoed throughout the house once again.

She rolled her eyes at the impatience of whoever was at the door and gripped the doorknob. She opened the door and, to her surprise, she saw, "Wolfard?!" she cried out at the sight of the timber wolf cop, though he was not in his uniform. Instead, he wore a simple t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Judy?!" he returned her surprised greeting as he saw her at the door. His eyes widened at her state, the collar and the chain in particular stood out.

"Who is it, Miss Hopps?" Wolfgang's voice echoed throughout the house, but she was unable to answer him. She could only stare at Wolfard... as if a piece of her old self had just come barging back into her life. Was he here to free her?

Wolfard, realizing what exactly was going on, stepped inside quickly, and closed the door behind him. "Uh... hi Judy..." he stammered out. Truthfully, he hadn't really expected to find her here, but it looked like officer Wilde had been right.

"Wolfard? What the hell are doing here?" Judy asked as she hopped down from the table and moved it back into place. She remembered what Wolfgang had said about the wolf cop. He wasn't here to free her…

"Er... none of your business. Wolfgang!" he called, stepping around her.

"Dear cousin!" Wolfgang called out when Wolfard stepped into view. He limped towards his older cousin, though he was taller than the gray wolf by several inches, and embraced him in a friendly hug. "What are you here for?" he asked, "Has something gone wrong?"

"I… I have some bad news, unfortunately," Wolfard said, stepping away from his cousin.

"And? I don't think now is a good time for bad news... you do know the wedding is tomorrow, right?" the white wolf asked. "And I've been shot several times... I don't need more bad news."

"No, this is important. It concerns Judy," the gray wolf said, noticing the fact that Wolfgang was not wearing a shirt, and had medical tape wrapped around his torso. He winced when he thought about the bullet wounds.

Wolfgang's eyes widened, "Oh... then please, proceed."

"The fox, Nick Wilde. He knows you have her here, and he has the support of the police chief. From what I've gathered they don't have anything on you that they can use to burst in here yet... but the way it sounded was that it was only a matter of time," he frowned.

Wolfgang tutted quietly, "Yes, I am aware of officer Nick Wilde... and I figured he would gain the support of chief Bogo... he's always been a hard one to corrupt. And they will find nothing, I'm afraid... there is no need to worry, you are perfectly safe, as am I."

"I just figured I should warn you, that's all," Wolfard muttered. As always, Wolfgang was still absolutely confident in his invincibility. Which, the gray wolf supposed, has only increased after being shot several times.

"Is there anything else? I'm sensing some... apprehension," Wolfgang pressed. "You know that I'm perfectly safe, the ZPD has nothing on me... not even _you_ have anything on me. This mansion is impenetrable... there must be another reason for you to come here tonight."

Wolfard sighed, "Listen, Wolfgang... as your cousin and her former comrade... can I speak to Judy for a moment? Alone?"

Wolfgang blinked, "You do good work for me, Wolfard… of course you may talk to her." And with that he left the dining room, though he didn't go far... just far enough not to hear what they were saying.

Judy stared at Wolfard, she had followed him into the dining room, and the distinct sense of betrayal welled up inside her. "So, what do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Uh..." Wolfard trailed off, now unsure of exactly what he wanted to say. "Are you... all right, officer Hopps?"

"Sort of... no thanks to you," she growled, looking down at the floor. He had called her officer Hopps… something that she hadn't heard since her first day here. She… she missed being called that.

Wolfard swallowed carefully, "Is he... treating you well?" He was a bit hurt that she was angry at him for being unable to do anything... there was _nothing_ he could do. Especially against Wolfgang, his closest living relative. Well, besides Wolfgang's asshole siblings… but they were dead to the wolf cop.

"He's treating me better than I expected, actually," she replied, sitting down on the floor.

"He's not as bad as his siblings, that's for sure," he sighed, following suit. "He actively keeps each and every single mole in the police force from them so they cannot use them to their advantage. I doubt he has the city's best interest at heart, but his information is sometimes invaluable for cases... ever wonder how I solve so many so quickly?"

"Oh... so that's how you became lieutenant so quickly," she said, remembering one of the stories she had been told about the wolf cop. "It's dishonest, but at least you're using him to solve cases so..."

"Well, it's not necessarily dishonest," he said with a shrug, "It's just using your resources. That's what you do with Mr. Big, right?"

"I guess you're right," she replied, looking down at her lap. She didn't think anyone else knew about that… besides Nick. And she didn't even use the artic shrew as a resource that often. But… seeing Wolfard made something rise in her chest. She knew that Wolfgang had offered to send a message to Nick, but she didn't want Nick to just give up trying to save her. "Wolfard? Could you give Nick a message?" she asked.

"Uh... sure. I don't think Wolfgang would mind..." he mumbled, though he thought for a second and said, "I don't know how I'm going to explain said message, however."

"Just find a way to get it to him. And tell him that... that I'm sorry. That I'm very, very, very, ever so sorry. And that I hope to see him soon. Can you do that?" she asked.

"Uh... sure. That's not much of a message," he mumbled, "But I'll get it to him. Nothing about your situation... marriage... anything else?" He did notice, however, that she had said she would be seeing Nick soon. He wasn't sure if Wolfgang was allowing it… or if she was asking the fox cop to come for her.

"No. no, that's it," she sighed, downcast. At least Nick will know that she was sorry… sorry for giving up… sorry for not taking her chance to escape. Even if he won't know exactly the context, he'll at least know that she was sorry for betraying him.

"All right, what's next then?"

"I don't... I don't really have anything else to say," she shrugged.

"No, I mean, what's next for you? I mean... I won't be able to make it to the wedding, but if... you know... you ever want to call me, I'm always available. And Wolfgang enjoys my visits, and I don't doubt he'll let us talk again," he smiled softly. "Is that acceptable?"

"Thanks, Wolfard... thanks for still being my friend," she said, smiling a little bit. "As for what's next for me? I don't know... boredom, I guess. I'll have to make my own fun."

"Well... I'm sure cousin Wolfgang won't object to me taking you out once and awhile on a case or two," he winked at her. "I'm sure I'd be able to convince him to do it at least once..."

"Oh my gosh... that would be exhilarating," she grinned. At least that was something to look forward too. Maybe she wouldn't be as bored as she thought.

"I'm sure you'll at least need some excitement in life... after all, cousin Wolfgang is a fan of the fine arts... and he can be quite boring. Has he roped you into reading Othello yet?" he smirked.

"Not Othello, Hamlet," she returned the smirk. "And he also said he would let me do what I want during the day... but shopping isn't really my thing."

"Yeah, he's been pushing that play on people since he was but a pup..." Wolfard chuckled. "And I don't doubt shopping isn't your thing... that's why you need some good ol' fashioned police work to liven your life right up!"

"I'll say," she giggled. "Thanks for the offer... I'll take anything."

"And... well... I'm sorry that this has happened to you Judy... but I promise... I'll do my best to make sure he treats you right and, of course, to give you that little sense of normality you desperately need," Wolfard stood. "Although it may seem like I can't do much... I'm his favorite relative... and I'll do my best."

"Thanks, Wolfard. The offer is appreciated," she nodded, "Very much so." Wolfgang walked in at that moment, as if sensing their conversation was over. Wolfard gave his farewells to both her and his cousin, before leaving.

"You seem happier," Wolfgang observed with a raised eyebrow.

"Speaking to one of my old friends was refreshing," she replied, small smile gracing her mouth. "Now then... it's off to bed, especially for you."

"Right, of course my dearest Miss Hopps... or should I say Fritz?" Wolfgang grinned as they made their way back to their bedroom. Although she was significantly smaller than him, she kept a paw on his leg, as if keeping him upright. He was still limping slightly, but easily kept pace with the small bunny.

"I'm not Fritz yet..." she said quietly as they made it to their room. He shut the door as she climbed into bed, bouncing upwards as he all but collapsed next to her. "This… this is the last night that Judy Hopps will ever see."

"And tonight is my last night of being unmarried..." Wolfgang muttered, "Even if it doesn't seem significant, you must realize that... until my father died a week ago... I had thought this would never happen to me."

"Oh, poor you," she chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"And to you as well," he sighed. "This is... well, it's a shock to my system. I hope, at the very least, we can both understand the other's misfortune..." There was that spark again. Was it getting stronger? He couldn't quite tell... but somehow, the spark screamed at him that his self from the time before his father died was... well, naïve. And perhaps stupid for never pursuing something such as this. _What am I thinking?_ he growled internally _, I must still be a bit loopy from the pain._

"I should hope that holds true on your end," she responded, raising her eyebrows.

He let out a deep sigh before saying, "You know that I'll never forget what I've done to you. I'll never forget what I've taken from you... and what that means for you."

Judy sighed, "Thanks for that... if nothing else."

He nodded quietly before realizing, "Would you like to finish Hamlet before we retire? We still have about half the final act to go."

"No... you need to sleep. I'd like to finish it... as Judy... Judy Fritz," she said, putting a smile on her face.

He felt his heart pound in his chest as he heard her words. It was the most considerate, kindest thing anyone had ever done for him. As a friend or as a business partner. Even when his father had let him punch his sister in the mouth for burning one of his books. "I'd… I'd really like that," he said finally, after a moment of silent consideration. "Goodnight… my dearest Judy Hopps."

"Goodnight, Wolfgang Fritz. Tomorrow... will be the most beautiful day of our lives," she sighed, closing her eyes on the last day of being a Hopps.

XXX

 **Well… Wolfgang's not dead. And Judy killed someone else… although reluctantly. And she was presented** ** _another_** **opportunity to shoot Wolfgang, this time with him encouraging her, rather than threatening her… and yet she chose not to pull the trigger again. I'm sure this decision won't haunt her for the rest of her life. Now… I do wonder, however… if he was just delirious or if it was all just a test. Or… maybe he was giving her that chance to escape. Who knows!**

 **And we get to see Wolfard and Judy have a conversation as well… though I do wonder how well delivering Judy's message will go. Next chapter is…** ** _the wedding!_** **I do hope you all are excited… so please stay tuned until then!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Dearly Beloved:

Author's Note:

 **Finally… the moment you've all been waiting for… the wedding! I've never actually** ** _been_** **to a wedding before, so this was all… weird to write. I had to do quite a bit of research, actually… and I drew heavily on TV and movies (which are obviously not very accurate, I know that). So, uh, it seems to be smooth sailing, nothing could** ** _possibly_** **go wrong! Right? Let's find out… please, enjoy!**

XXX

With a loud yawn and several seconds of stretching, Judy woke up. For several minutes, she lied there, unsure of what to do exactly. Eventually, she let out a deep sigh, today was the day. She rolled over and, to her surprise, Wolfgang was still asleep by her side. She blinked a few times as she realized she had yet to wake up and find him still in bed next to her. The wounds must have really taken a lot out of him.

"Wolfgang," she said quietly, putting her paw on his shoulder. But he did not wake from her touch, only shifting slightly, and letting out a deep sigh. His wounds must've taken _a lot_ out of him. Frowning, she put both paws on his shoulders and shook him harder. "Wolfgang," she repeated, louder this time.

He grumbled in response, burying himself underneath the blankets in order to flee from her touch. He did not wish to wake up. She put her paws on her waist, she couldn't _believe_ he would rather sleep… this was all _his_ idea after all! "Come on Wolfgang! Today is our big day!" she shouted.

He jolted awake, sitting up so quickly that he practically knocked her off the bed. "What? What? I'm up, I'm up!" he all but shouted before grimacing from his violent movements. His wounds were still closed, but they ached from his jerking.

"No sudden movements!" she said quickly, cringing as he winced. "You're still hurt."

"Ah..." he sighed as he tried to relax, though he continued to wince from the pain, but powered through it. "What's all the noise for?" She had to stifle a giggle. His fur was matted in some places, but puffed up in others. He looked like he had a Mohawk extending down his back.

"You need to get cleaned up. The wedding is at noon, we've only got… three hours to get ready," she commanded, glancing at the clock on his nightstand. "And remember to take medications."

"Right... right..." he rubbed his temples, trying to clear the sleep from his mind. He glanced over at her and asked, "How do you wake up so flawless? I'm a mess..." He managed to grin, but his eye twitched when pain shot through the bullet wounds.

"It's because I'm naturally pretty," she preened. In truth, it was mostly because she had rather short fur… his was quite long. Especially when compared to hers.

"Well I won't deny that..." he sighed as he carefully got out of bed. That spark seemed to lift some of the pain in his back. Maybe... if he fed the spark more, it would give him more relief.

She followed him out of bed, putting a paw on his leg to help steady him. "All right... I'll get ready with Miss Hyena... can you get yourself ready?" she asked.

"I'm not some child," he snorted. "I am fully capable of getting ready by myself."

"Okay... I'll see you at the wedding, all right?" she said, backing out of the room to find Miss Hyena. Wolfgang only waved at her as she left the room.

She found the hyena easily enough. She was loitering nearby in the hallway, clearly waiting for her to come find her. "Miss Hopps! I'm so excited... I didn't get to help at all with his brother's wedding... this is gonna be great!" she said with a huge smile on her face.

"I'm going to get washed up... when I get back, we can focus on making me pretty," Judy said.

"Of course," Miss Hyena replied. "I await your return." The two split off in different directions, Judy heading towards the master bathroom to shower and brush her teeth, while the hyena made her way towards the room with all the dresses. To retrieve the rabbit's wedding dress.

Judy finished drying herself off and slipped on her undergarments before brushing her teeth. When she turned around, she saw Miss Hyena with the wedding dress ready to be put on, as well as a very elaborate-looking makeup set. "I had picked up the dress last night and the tailor recommended this very expensive makeup set... I knew Wolfgang wouldn't mind... so I bought it too," the hyena admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, I'm sure he won't mind at all," Judy grinned, as she looked over the set. The Hyena sat the rabbit down, and began to apply the many paints and cosmetics that were available. The entire process took a whole half-hour, Miss Hyena was certainly good at it. Once the hyena had finished, she turned Judy around to face a large mirror.

Judy's eyes widened and she gasped. "There ya go! Somehow, you're even prettier!" the hyena grinned. "Now all that's left is the dress." Judy couldn't help but put on a wide smile as Miss Hyena put the wedding dress on her. She twirled around in it, the large skirt spinning around her wonderfully.

"You look amazing! I'm... actually a bit jealous," the hyena admitted with a small smile.

"I'm sure you could make yourself look just as good," she said, returning the smile. She looked at herself in the mirror, and once again, she hardly recognized the rabbit in the reflection. The smile that graced her face seemed… unbecoming of someone who was being forced into this. And yet… she couldn't help but grin as widely as she could.

"... Hyenas are widely considered hideous... no amount of makeup will change that," the hyena explained with a heavy sigh. "But that's not what I meant... I mean that I'll never get married."

"How about once your collar comes off?" Judy asked, twirling again.

Miss Hyena swallowed slowly. "I… I'm never going to leave this place, Judy. I don't have anywhere else to go. I mean… the collar doesn't even work anymore… so it's not like it's holding me back from anything. It's just that… when Master Fritz dies, I'll be handed down to Wolfgang, and I'm not sure I'll even want to leave by the time this blasted thing is taken off in two years," she admitted. "And it's still not like anyone would want a formerly collared animal… especially a hyena like me."

"You know, before I was taken here, we contracted a hyena very much like you in order to save her from a cruel master," Judy explained. "Well... actually, she's a lot more... damaged... than you, but my point is that it's likely that somebody will take you,"

"But that doesn't mean I want to leave... I don't know where my family is... I don't have anyone else. I like Wolfgang... he's very nice to me and all the other collared employees. I don't doubt he'd just be having me look after you... but I think that'd be a life well spent," the hyena sighed.

"You're missing your family too? The hyena that we rescued was missing hers as well. Huh, I guess collars suck," Judy frowned.

"Yeah, no shit," the hyena sighed. "Well... it doesn't shock me anymore, so I guess that's a plus."

"The hyena we contracted still has a working collar. And… before we took her in… her previous contractor did… a real number on her."

"Well... I'm sure Wolfgang would be happy to try and deactivate her collar too," the hyena shrugged. "I doubt he can magically fix her, though..."

"It'll take a lot to fix her, believe me. She's practically a child, so much so in fact that she refers to me as 'Nice Carrots,' " the rabbit grimaced.

"That's... really sad," the hyena repressed tears at the very idea. "I've seen animals go insane from the collars... but I've never heard of someone's mental age being reduced to that of a child... what kind of trauma did she go through?"

"Maybe she acts like a child because she was happier back then... she was collared at only thirteen years of age. Maybe she thought, almost subconsciously, that life would be better for her if she was back there again... and so, she subconsciously got back there... but practically lost her mind in the process," Judy shrugged, frowning deeply, skirting over the hyena's actual question.

"Thirteen, huh?" the hyena asked, almost bitterly, "That's when I was collared. And maybe you're right... in which case, I would think that just showing her a better life might not be enough. It'll take some real, professional help... and I don't know... making sure the collar could never shock her might be a start. Because, for the first two years of working here... I was... well, absolutely terrified of being shocked. Sure, now, it's a joke to me... but it wasn't back then. It wasn't..."

"What... what does it feel like?" Judy asked softly, terrified of the answer. "Er... to be shocked, that is."

The hyena thought for a moment, trying to remember what it was like. "It's like... it's strange. Because the shock doesn't come the moment that button is pressed... it's actually a few seconds' delay, and yet... if you watch it being pressed, it seems to happen _instantly._ The first time that electricity courses through you... you almost think it was harmless. It makes your fur stand on end and your muscles twitch... but that's about it. But... when it happens over... and over... and over again... it no longer seems so harmless. You can feel it coursing throughout your body... your brain seems to just... shut off as you're filled with unimaginable pain... and when you come-to... everything is sore, and sometimes you aren't even sure why. And then you realize, when you can't make your fingers stay still, nor make your mind focus on a single topic for more than a few seconds, and when the scent of sizzling flesh meets your nose... that you had been shocked once again. That's the most frightening part... the realization that you had just been electrocuted," she sighed, clenching her jaws together tightly as she remembered.

Judy frowned, wishing she could empathize further with the hyena. "That... that would play hell on anyone's mind... no wonder there's a fifty-year limit, but even that's too much..."

"A fifty-year limit that is arbitrary anyways... after that long of being electrocuted, an animal might not make it passed... twenty... maybe thirty if the handler was lenient," the hyena explained. "They don't do studies on these things because everyone just accepts it... so it's really just my best guess at what I've witnessed, I'm afraid."

"Wolfgang is right to not shock his employees if he can help it," Judy noted, thinking back to yesterday's conversation.

"Do you know why he understands that they are wrong? How he came to that realization? And why he is so adamant about it?" Miss Hyena asked quietly.

"No... he hasn't yet told me... he hasn't told me a lot of things actually," the rabbit realized, looking down at her dress.

"Then that's something you should ask him... I don't think, then, he would like me to divulge his secrets," she sighed. "Don't be afraid to be open with him... he isn't going to hurt you."

"No... I know. I'll ask him later," Judy nodded before letting out a sigh, how had they managed to get on such a dreary topic? "Well... shall we go to the wedding then?"

"Uh... yeah," Miss Hyena said. Before Judy could leave the room, the hyena pulled out a small key and unlocked her collar. "There... is that better?" she asked with a small smile.

Judy felt her neck where the collar had been for the past three days. She hadn't realized how oppressive it had been until it was gone. _Holy cow,_ was the only thing she could think. "Wow... thanks," she grinned.

"Wolfgang's orders," the hyena reminded the rabbit that if it was not for Wolfgang... his mother would order that collar to remain on until she died. "Now... how about a lighter topic as we make our way towards the wedding, we do still have an hour to burn, after all..." the hyena trailed off. Now that Judy had her collar off, the hyena did not doubt she wanted to move as far away from that topic as possible.

"Tell me about your old family then," Judy pressed.

The hyena blinked several times. "I… I don't think that's a lighthearted topic," she muttered.

"Oh, come on, let me hear about them!" the rabbit pressed, suddenly interested in the hyena's past.

The hyena let out a sigh as she launched into her tale. "I had a mother and a sister... our father had left us when I was young. But... it was common for hyenas, I suppose, so it's not like I blame him. My mother was basically matriarch of a small clan of hyenas... though we weren't doing so well at the time. My sister was..." she let out a deep breath as she let the memories flood her, "My sister was a genius. She was the only reason our clan wasn't completely annihilated... mother loved her, I loved her... everyone loved her. But she... she disappeared when she turned thirteen. I wasn't... no one knew where she went. Mother was devastated, and so was I."

She looked down at her feet, tears threatening to fall from the memory. "But I know what happened to her... because the same thing happened to me. Two years after she disappeared, when I turned thirteen as well... I was accused of a crime I swear I didn't commit... not that it matters anymore. And I was collared... I had hoped they would take me to her... but I never found her. Now I've been cut off from my family too... mother might be dead... the clan might be gone... who knows what happened to my sister..." she sighed through clenched teeth.

"We were happy... at least while my sister was with us. After she was gone... it was just horrible. I just know they're gone now... dead, perhaps. We could never have made ends meet without her..." her voice dropped to nothing more than a whisper.

Judy frowned. She had been hoping for happy memories, before the collar. "Uh... what were your mother and sister's names?" she asked, still grasping at straws. It felt unfair to push the hyena to keep talking… but maybe there was a happy memory or two she could fall back on.

"Mom's name was… Hatari," she sighed. "My sister... well... she had quite a long name. Most of it was things mom thought was funny... but her name was Shenzi."

"S-Shenzi?" Judy asked, turning her ears to make sure she had heard right. _It couldn't be…_ she thought to herself.

"I... I think so... I would tauntingly call her Shenzi Marie, because she hated it, whenever she made a mistake... she always made such a big deal out of her mistakes," they hyena managed a small smile.

"Shenzi Marie? Really?" Judy asked once again.

"Yeah... why?"

"Was her full, complete name by any chance... uh..." Judy thought back to a few days ago, when Shenzi had rattled it off. "Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena?"

Miss Hyena's eyes widened and she said, "How do you know that?!"

"Shenzi herself told me... a few days ago," the rabbit explained, raising an incredulous eyebrow at the coincidence.

"Oh... my God... you found her?!" the hyena said, lifting Judy up into the air with a huge grin her face. She spun around in a huge circle, grinning all the while, until she halted in her step, smile dropping off her face in favor of a deep frown. She set Judy back on the ground and took a step backwards. "Wait... Shenzi is the one you were talking about... the damaged one? Oh... no..." a horrible feeling washed over the hyena, her sister might be permanently damaged.

Judy felt a wave of compassion wash over her. "Uh... yeah, Shenzi is the... damaged... one," she said softly as despair took hold of the hyena.

"No... please tell me it's not true..." the hyena begged, but Judy could only shake her head. It was too late to lie to her. "That... that's not fair," tears welled up in her eyes, "I've been given an easy life, despite this infernal collar... she was the smart one... she was the one who deserved this, not me! Oh God... how bad is it?!"

Judy frowned sadly. "It's like I told you... she's practically a child... and she says she lost her family," she said.

The hyena couldn't stop the tears now, "But she hasn't lost her family... just... this is something I _need_ you to bring up with Wolfgang. And I think Shenzi would benefit from it too! Promise me that you'll do that for me... promise me... that you'll do it for her..."

"Miss Hyena... get your chin up. I swear I will ask Wolfgang if he can do all he can for Shenzi. I swear I will do everything in my power... such as it is... to help Shenzi. That's what I was doing before I came here, and that's what I'll continue doing," Judy said solemnly.

Miss Hyena let out a loud sob, collapsing to her knees and embracing Judy before she could stop her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you... not just for me, but for Shenzi too!"

"You're very welcome," the rabbit sighed, letting the distraught Hyena squeeze her for comfort.

"Oh, I'm crying all over your dress, aren't I?" the hyena managed a small smile as she pulled away from Judy.

"That hardly matters," Judy said, although the hyena had indeed cried onto her dress... if only a little bit.

"Oh... sorry about that. It's been awhile since I've gotten... emotional," Miss Hyena admitted, standing up again.

"I'll do my best to get Shenzi back to normal... but you'll be glad to know that she is at least happy," Judy explained.

"I certainly hope so…" the hyena sighed. "Well... I think it's about time to get to the wedding." They had forgotten themselves there for a moment. Though they still had forty minutes, they had not even left the room.

"Yeah, I guess…we're both opening new chapters of our lives, aren't we?" Judy asked as they walked out of the room.

"Well... my chapter doesn't begin until Master Fritz is dead... but yes, yours begins today," the hyena smiled as she led the rabbit into the dining room. It seemed Wolfgang had already left. As they continued out of the house, the smile that graced Miss Hyena's face turned into a smirk. "Have you thought about what you're going to do on your honeymoon?" she grinned.

"Our-our honeymoon?" Judy asked, pausing in her step, "Uh..." In truth, Wolfgang hadn't even _mentioned_ a honeymoon.

"Oh, come on... you had to have at least thought about it," the hyena grinned. Although she was thankful for Judy connecting the dots that determined where her sister was... this was revenge for making her remember being taken and losing her family. Besides... a little embarrassment never hurt anyone.

"Oh lord," the rabbit muttered, "What… what do you… normally do on… honeymoons?"

"Well..." the hyena said, grin stretching even further across her face. "Usually you go someplace really nice, enjoy the scenery and the culture... then you make mad love each night. Tell me that's not romantic!"

"Uh... we won't be making love," Judy shook her head quickly. At least she didn't have to worry about that. She continued onwards towards the waiting car.

"Oh... that must be disappointing. But then again... Wolfgang has always been weird about that stuff..." the hyena mumbled.

Judy paused in her step again. "What do you mean... weird?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. She had thought he was just being nice… but now that the hyena mentioned it… he had been acting a bit… odd whenever the topic was presented.

"I mean… well… I'm not really sure, actually. I don't know if he's repressed or if he's… ah… experienced something traumatic, but he's always reacted oddly whenever the topic was brought up," the hyena explained, thinking back to all the times she had been messing with the white wolf, only for him to react almost… violently.

"Oh... at least that's good for me," Judy remarked, crossing her arms.

"Aw... you have to admit he's at least attractive... in a dangerous sort of way," she grinned. "I wouldn't be surprised that, if he wasn't so isolated, he would have women throwing themselves at him."

"Well, I ain't one of those women!" Judy replied as she made it to the car. She hopped into the passenger's seat, and Miss Hyena, who had to stifle a snort, climbed into the driver's seat. She watched the hyena adjust the mirror before starting the car when a though occurred to her. "Are… would you be one of those women, Miss Hyena?" she asked.

The hyena flinched, ears flattening against her head as a subtle red tinge rose onto her cheeks. "I… uh… might be…" she admitted.

Judy couldn't help but grin. The hyena had tried to embarrass her, and now was her chance to get a bit of revenge. "I can't believe you have a crush on my future husband," she chuckled.

The hyena swallowed audibly and gripped the steering wheel hard. "Don't say it like that… it sounds weird," she growled. "Just… I'm just his friend. And maybe it's foolish of me to think I could have ever been anything more."

"So… you were serious that first day… when you said that you wanted him to pick you?" Judy asked, looking down at her feet.

"I… I was," the hyena admitted. "And I guess I still dream about what it would be like if he _did_ pick me. Sometimes I pretend he _was_ going to pick me… but his mother was preventing him from doing so."

 _So_ _ **that's**_ _why she's not leaving,_ Judy thought, _Huh… unrequited love at its finest, I suppose._ "Well… I'm sorry he went out of his way to kidnap me," she sighed. "Did you ever… tell him?"

"That's not something you have to apologize for," the hyena grumbled. "And no… I never did tell him… and I don't plan on telling him… especially now." She pulled the car out of its parked position, signaling the fact that their conversation was over. Judy wholeheartedly agreed.

The minutes passed them by and they eventually made it out of Zootopia and into the country, wide-open grassland surrounding them. The grasslands were beautiful to Judy's eyes... it had been so long since she had been able to see her natural habitat that she had nearly forgotten what it looked like. Or what it felt like to be _home._

She let out a sigh, _I suppose that purple mansion is my home now._ The more she thought about it... the worse her mood became. She was losing the fox she loved. She was losing her lifelong passion. She was losing her friends. She was losing her old home. She was losing... everything. And this wedding would finalize it beyond the point of no return.

They pulled up close to the service, everyone had already gathered, they were just waiting for her. "Are you ready, Miss Hopps?" the hyena asked, putting the car in park.

"As... as ready as I'll ever be," Judy sighed, opening the door. There wasn't much present, except for a long red carpet lined with a row of blue flowers that lead up to an altar. Where Wolfgang and a leopard in vestments waited for her to approach.

The white wolf stood at the altar with his arms crossed in front of him, an odd hyena by his side. The hyena couldn't help but grin widely as he watched her with his red eyes. _Is that his best man?_ she wondered. He had never mentioned having a best man...

She sighed again, this was it. The most beautiful day of her life. _I will enjoy it. I have to enjoy it. I will enjoy it,_ she repeated to herself as she and the hyena made their way down the aisle, towards the alter.

Wolfgang tensed when he saw her... she was stunning, though he remained silent. That spark in his chest electrified his entire body, begging to be released onto the world. He was no longer sure how long he could hold it in. _Am I really going to break?_ he asked himself as she made it to the altar, the hyena stepping aside. He stared at her as she stared back at him, neither were smiling.

The pastor cleared his throat and started giving the sermon, "Dearly beloved we are gathered here today on this beautiful afternoon to bind Judy Hopps and Wolfgang Fritz in holy matrimony. Now, I understand that no one is here today to present this woman to marry this man?"

Miss Hyena, who stood by Judy's side as her unofficial bridesmaid, said, "I do, I guess."

The pastor nodded, he was being paid handsomely for this, it wasn't like he would object. "Very well then. As Judy and Wolfgang give their vows today, we will be privileged to witness the bond between two animals grow to its highest extent underneath God's green Earth. A bond that will be nurtured and nourished by these two separate individuals that will soon cease to be such."

He paused to take a deep breath, before continuing, "May their marriage bring them all the peace, comfort, and joy that is known to all of God's children, and may Judy and Wolfgang both look forward to each new season of their marriage... just as the world eagerly awaits each new season of the year. For each season brings with them their own special moments and memories."

Again, he drew a deep breath, "An essential requirement of a good marriage is a strong bond of real friendship and trust. Judy and Wolfgang, your love for each other will grow deeper with each passing day, but it is important to remember that your love stands on the foundation of genuine, mutual affection, and respect for one another. To truly _love_ another person is to accept both their strongest asset, and their weakest point with equal measures of understanding and respect."

Once more he paused for breath, "As such, the vows that you will exchange will be a verbal representation of the non-verbal emotions that are as real as anything that can be seen, heard, or touched. For it is not the words that will bind you together today, but the strength of the love and commitment found deep within your souls. And so, I ask you to face each other and take each other's paws."

Judy looked up at Wolfgang, despair filling her heart. _This is it… this is it,_ the thought ran rampant in her mind. She tried to smile at him as they both stepped forward, Wolfgang kneeling to take Judy's paws in his own.

The priest cleared his throat to continue, "I _require_ and charge you both, as you will answer at the dreadful day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment, why you may not be lawfully joined together in matrimony, you do now confess it. For be you well assured, that if any persons are joined together other than as God's Word doth allow, their marriage is not lawful."

Judy wanted to scream at those words... there was all the reason in the world that this marriage shouldn't go through. _Oh… Nick…_ she realized. She stayed silent, as did Wolfgang. The priest waited a moment for objections, and yet he heard none. "Do you, Wolfgang Fritz, take Judy Hopps to be your lawfully wedded wife?" he asked, the power could be heard in his words. They were to be bound together forever.

"I do," was Wolfgang's simple answer as he slipped a golden ring on one of her fingers. His expression betrayed no emotion, but his voice wavered just slightly in his words. _Is he as hesitant as I?_ Judy wondered, but it was too late, the pastor spoke to her next.

"And do you, Judy Hopps, take Wolfgang Fritz to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

 _Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god..._ this was happening. The ring was an unwelcome obtrusion on her finger, she could feel its strange weight and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't quite ignore it. _I'm… I'm sorry, Nick,_ she clenched her jaws together, but did not look away from Wolfgang. She stared up at him square in his eyes with a solemn expression. "I do," she said, nearly too softly to hear, as she placed the gold band around his finger.

"By the power vested in me by the city of Zootopia, I pronounce you husband and wife... you may kiss the bride," the pastor spoke, binding them forever. _This is it,_ the though traveled through both of their minds at the same moment as Wolfgang leaned closer to Judy.

Their lips met and Judy felt a shock run through her as Wolfgang wrapped his arms around and drew her close, as they kissed to seal the marriage. Wolfgang had never touched another being as intimately as he had Judy at that very moment. And to say the kiss was electric was... an understatement. That spark in his chest burst into flame, and the fire quickly and rapidly grew to an unmanageable blaze that consumed his very soul. _It... it's real..._ he realized in that moment that Judy was right. He had fallen for her. For so long that spark in his chest was just an outspoken blip... but now it raged through him and he could no longer deny it as truth. He loved her.

He was reluctant to let her go, but he did, standing once again. A smile stretched across his muzzle... but it wasn't because he had won the throne, as he had, but because he had found something he had thought to be impossible for him. Love. For so long he had written it off as myth... as just something that compelled animals to breed... but he could feel it set deep within his bones... and knew its almighty touch.

Judy looked up at Wolfgang and she saw him smile... and it looked like one of joy. One of profound happiness. _Perhaps he is just happy he secured the throne,_ she sighed to herself. But she couldn't help but wipe her mouth with her paw.

Wolfgang stepped forward and took one of her paws, and together they stepped down from the altar. They looked at each other again, and Judy managed to smile, to try to match the joyous grin on his face. Those gathered applauded, and Wolfgang could swear he actually saw a flash of genuine emotion cross his sister's face... which might've been a trick of the light. The hyena that had stood by him slapped him once on the back and flashed a cheeky grin before wandering off. "So... what now?" he whispered to her. The priest had practically bolted from the area... clearly still afraid of the dangerous crime lords gathered.

"What now?" she asked, looking up at him. She sat down in the grass, and he did the same. "Well... say my name."

Wolfgang raised an eyebrow but complied, "Judy Fritz."

Judy let out a long sigh, then smiled. "That's right. Judy Fritz. And Wolfgang Fritz. Husband... and his wife," to her credit, her tone did not waver.

"Indeed..." he said, smile growing larger. He did like the sound of that. "Would you care for some cake?" he asked, motioning towards the group of people congregating towards a large tent, where their reception was to be held.

"Yes, Wolfgang. I would love some cake," she replied, standing, and smiling up at her… husband. He looked down at her, that genuine smile still on his face... down at his wife. The two of them made their way into the tent to see the massive cake she had ordered sitting against the back wall of the tent. There were only two tables. One table with only four seats, for the married couple, Wolfgang's mother, and his best man, that strange hyena. The two of them took a seat between the two already sitting so that Wolfgang was next to the hyena and Judy was next to his mother, the massive cake behind them.

Judy cleared her throat, turning to Wolfgang's mother. "Well... I'm happy to have your son… Mrs. Fritz," she said softly, the thought dawning on her that _she_ was now Mrs. Fritz.

The mother coughed loudly before turning to face the rabbit. "Und I am sure he ist happy to haff you," she grunted before turning away, coughing again.

Judy nodded, and managed to grin. "So... we're married Wolfgang," she said, turning back to the white wolf. She wasn't sure what else to say.

"That we are," he replied. He picked up a rather large knife and grabbed her paw, "Shall we cut the cake?"

"Yeah... let's have some cake." She grabbed a hold of his paw and helped guide it into the cake. They cut two rather large pieces, which they gave themselves, before a nicely dressed, collared bear took the knife and began cutting pieces for everyone else. They sat back down as servants came around and poured the expensive, strong wine they had bought... though now Wolfgang wasn't sure if he even needed it.

He was feeling great. He wasn't sure if it was the medication... or Judy, but his bullet wounds had been nearly completely forgotten, as even when they stung, the pain was over powered by something else.

"You know..." Judy said, as she took a bite of the fluffy white confection, "This is the best part of this wedding." Wolfgang gave her an odd look, to which she giggled, "The cake!"

He chuckled in return and took a sip of the wine. His eye twitched. "Holy... this is _really_ strong," he muttered. He checked the label and, sure enough, someone had switched his order. Although it was the same brand as the one he had showed her the other day, it was nearly twice as strong.

She gave him a happy grin. "I'll refrain, in that case. You know, strangely enough... I don't think I'll need it," she said as she took another bite of the cake, "But that could just be the sugar."

"I don't think that I'll need it either. Either this medication has me doped up so high I can't feel a thing... or..." he trailed off, taking a bite of cake in between as to not finish his sentence.

"Or what?" she asked, sending him an amused look.

His grin widened and he opened his mouth to answer, to prove her correct, but he was interrupted by the clinking of a fork against a glass. The strange hyena had stood and, with glass in hand, seemed to be preparing to a make a traditional "best man speech." "I guess I'll tell you later," Wolfgang hissed quietly.

Judy looked over at the hyena, and leaned back, getting comfortable in her wedding dress.

The hyena took a deep breath and drained the entire glass of wine he was carrying, to which Wolfgang chuckled. "Speeches aren't really my thing," the hyena admitted, "But when Wolfgang asked me to be his best man, I couldn't refuse. Mostly because he owes me for cancelling on me."

He paused to send a short glare at the white wolf, to which Wolfgang only shrugged. The hyena let out a sigh and continued with, "I've known Wolfgang for quite some time now, nearly fifteen years. To any outside observer, we are most definitely _not_ friends. Hell, Wolfy himself doesn't even consider us friends, that's why he constantly stabs me with a sword… during our fencing bouts, I should say. But he's tolerated my existence this long, and he's even invited me here today, so I like to think I understand him. But what I still can't wrap my head around is, even after knowing _why_ he had to get married, I didn't understand _why_ he chose a bunny."

He paused to let loose a chuckle. "Now… to any other man, you would laugh at him for his choice. A wolf marrying a bunny is absurd… almost more absurd than a lion and a hyena, if that was even possible. And yet… I had asked him a few days ago when I heard the news, 'why the bunny Wolfy?' And do you know what he told me?" he paused again for just a moment. "It wasn't what I was expecting to hear, 'cause you all know what bunnies are known for. He told me he wanted a bunny out of spite. I was confused at first, and I thought he was lying to me… but then I remembered something."

He pointed at Wolfgang, "This is a man I have _stabbed_ with a sword, only to have him brush it off as if it was a mere paper cut. And so, I have no doubts that you chose a bunny out of spite, and that's mostly the reason why I came today. To see exactly what a marriage of spite looked like… well, that and the wine. But… ya know what, my friend? I don't think it's spite anymore." And with that, he sat down. Wolfgang only snorted, _how true… how true._

"Huh?" Judy raised an eyebrow, "I wonder what he means."

"Later," Wolfgang insisted, stuffing a piece of cake in his mouth. Was it that obvious? _Damn it... I knew I shouldn't have invited him,_ he sighed to himself. The two continued to eat their slices of cake as somebody put a piece of soft music into a player. Wolfgang let out a sigh, he had been unable to rent an orchestral arrangement like he wanted, but he had managed to find a CD player that did the job just fine.

Judy paused in her chewing and swallowed before turning to look eagerly at the white wolf. "Shall we dance?" she asked, unable to help the excited grin that spread across her face.

"Of course, Miss Ho-… Mrs. Fritz," he said, smirk rising on his face. _That_ would take getting used to. He allowed her to lead him into the center of the tent, where there was plenty of space. Although the others remained seated, the married couple would dance first, they would likely join them after the first song.

"Mrs. Fritz... yeah... I guess that's my name," she said, smiling a little bit. She had gotten so used to him calling her Miss Hopps that hearing those words from her mouth definitely sounded off. But… there was no avoiding it. It was who she was now. They stood in front of each other, Wolfgang bending down to put his paws around her.

The height difference made dancing a bit awkward, he was practically on his knees, which made dancing nearly impossible. They only spent a few futile minutes trying to dance with him hunched over like a cripple before a devious smirk crossed his face... he had an idea. Her eyebrow raised when she felt his paws wrap around her tighter, before she let out an indignant squeal as he lifted her into the air so he could stand up straight.

She put her paws on his chest as she calmed herself, her skirt hanging down. "Well... I guess this works," she returned his smile. She had not been expecting him to do that. He grinned as he began to dance with her, though he was the only one. And she had to admit... he was good. It would probably be more impressive if they were the same size so that he didn't have to swing her around like a sack of potatoes... but she was sure it didn't look that bad for her.

Wolfgang swung Judy around as she smiled back at him. She giggled with every turn, keeping her paws on his chest. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked with a small smirk as the song ended and a new one came on, this time others coming to join them on the dance floor. Although the wedding was small, his brother had predictably invited a few friends.

"I... what do you know, I am," she sighed.

He chuckled as the song became more upbeat, causing him and everyone else to move faster. "As am I," he admitted.

"Twirl me around," she commanded with a small smirk.

He did as she requested, twirling her around. "Perhaps we were overreacting," he sighed quietly as the song sped up once again.

"What do you mean?" she asked, cocking one of her ears.

"I mean... this is quite enjoyable. We're both having fun... I think that we will continue to enjoy this 'relationship' in the future... I really don't remember what I was so worried about..." he mumbled.

"I think what we were worrying about is the fact that you forced me into this…" she replied, one of her ears sagging. _And it was going so well…_ she sighed.

"Perhaps... though I do believe there was something else that I can't quite remember..." he sighed. "In either case... as long as you're... we're happy... this won't be so bad, right?"

"So long as we're happy..." she sighed, looking down at his chest. "I guess that's what's important."

"I'm sure we could've had worse partners for eternity," he pointed out.

"You aren't so bad... for a crime lord, that's for sure," she shrugged, Wolfgang still holding her.

That's when he felt a tap on his shoulder, he looked over to see the vicious grin of his sister, "Come now, brother, I would like a dance as well... as would mother..."

Wolfgang's eyes narrowed, but he set Judy on the ground and said, "I shall return, Mrs. Fritz." He allowed his sister to lead him off to where his mother stood, just barely, being supported by his brother.

Judy let out a sigh, but looked up when she heard the voice of Wolfgang's best man... the red-eyed hyena, "Why hello there... care to dance, since you're free?" he asked with a kind smile.

Judy looked up at the hyena, raising her eyebrow. "Well... sure, but it won't be as much of a dance with you holding me up..." she said, rubbing the back of her neck. She wasn't sure exactly what was wrong with the hyena… but those red eyes unnerved her.

"Oh, that's no problem... it didn't seem to be a problem for Wolfy," he snickered, eyes glowing with mirth. _He seems to be enjoying himself,_ she observed. Perhaps it was the wine... maybe they shouldn't have gotten so much. She didn't want to know what Wolfgang's sister was like drunk, when she was literally insane sober.

The hyena picked her up and began to dance. He wasn't quite as smooth as Wolfgang was, but he was decent nonetheless. As they danced, she couldn't help looking up at him with a confused expression. "So... you're Wolfgang's fencing partner?" she asked.

"Rival, business friend, fencing partner... whatever you wanna call it," he shrugged. "He canceled on me last night... and made it up to me with this invitation... I must say, the wine alone is worth it."

"We got it strong, to ensure we could enjoy ourselves... after all, I didn't have a choice in this," she shrugged, wondering if the hyena knew of her… predicament.

"I haven't seen you drinking, though," he smirked. "Enjoying yourself more than you thought? Hell, Wolfy was shot... and he's not drinking either."

"We're managing to enjoy ourselves, yes," she replied with a nod. "Which is... sort of a surprise in itself."

"Why? Do you believe in fate... Mrs. Fritz?"

Judy raised an eyebrow at the strange question. "No... no I don't. If we had fates... this would all be pointless, wouldn't it?" she asked

"Ah... that's what Wolfy always said," he sighed. "But... I don't like to think of it like that. I think there is a such thing as fate... but I don't think it's fate that you wake up in the morning and have a cup of coffee and a few waffles... no, that seems less like fate and more like coincidence."

He grinned again, "I like to believe that fate is just something that pushes you towards other animals. Maybe you were always meant to come to Wolfy... fate literally kidnapped you to get you to him." _So, he does know,_ she sighed internally.

"And I would think of it as a good thing... maybe this is what you always needed to be happy... Wolfy looks happier than he ever has before. So maybe you can think of it like that... fate just brought you together in the only way it could," he shrugged.

"Fate has a cruel sense of humor then," she growled. "One moment, it seems to be pushing you towards one animal, the next... it's forcing you to be with another." She couldn't stop one of her ears from sagging as she thought of Nick.

"I'm just giving you an option," the hyena sighed. "Do you think I was always a crime lord? Born into this business like Wolfy? God no! I was enslaved much like you... though I worked my way up through the ranks until I became what I am today. And I always told myself... I can either think of this as bad luck and go through my entire life feeling unmotivated and miserable... or I can consider this fate and do my best to make myself happy with what was always going to happen to me."

"So, you're saying I was destined to be with Wolfgang. And that I should do my best to enjoy him… because I never had a choice," she sighed.

"You have the choice to be happy or be miserable..." he explained. "And that's likely all the control you'll ever have over your life."

"I guess you're right… I don't have much control over my life," she shrugged. "I'll... well, thanks for the advice. I'll enjoy myself."

The hyena chuckled again. "I would certainly hope so, because I have no idea what's going on over there, but Wolfy looks a bit upset..." he mumbled, drawing her attention to her husband with his small family. Wolfgang did indeed look upset, anger blazing in his eyes as he glared a hateful glare at his smirking sister. _Oh God... what's happened now?_ she wondered.

XXX

Kat led Wolfgang over to their mother, who was leaning against his brother. Kat went to stand next to her mother, snatching a half-empty bottle of wine off the table behind her. She had clearly been the one who had drained it.

"I hope you don't plan to do anything rash, dear sister," Wolfgang sighed, eyeing the bottle of wine. "And if you would like to dance... let's do it quick, I do have a wife now."

"Oh... _brother,_ dear..." his sister grinned with her sharpened teeth. "You know I don't dance… I force others to… by making them writhe!" She let loose a cackle, before taking a swig of the wine in her paws.

He took a deep breath, "And that's why you're going to be cut off, dear sister. You're much too unstable... you shouldn't even be drinking. Remember what happened last time you drank this much?"

"Last time?" she grinned, leaning against the table behind her. "Last time was fun! It was more enjoyable… so much more than this boring event."

"I wouldn't call stabbing a man half to death in a drunken fit 'enjoyable' dear sister," he sighed. "If it's not to dance, then what is it you want from me? It's already too late for you, dear sister. There's nothing you can do to stop me from taking the throne."

"Oh... don't worry, you and that fragile little bunny of yours have what you want but I... brother dear, I'm going to get what I want!" she shouted, taking another gulp of the wine.

"And what is it you want, dear sister? After mother passes, you will be receiving nothing from me... except a sentence to a mental institution," he hissed.

"Before that happy event comes to pass... remember how I said I would like to see your fragile little bunny writhe?" she asked, her eyes wide in unclean glee.

"I do remember you mentioning it," Wolfgang sighed. "And you will not be touching her. Or you'll lose your head... even more so than you already have." His amber eyes hardened into a glare. It was always a chore dealing with her.

"Brother dear, brother dear... tell me, do you really want the throne?" she asked, the grin that had been present on her face turning sinister.

"More than anything, which would be why I deigned myself to the bonds of marriage," he growled.

"Well then... I would hope you are prepared to… finalize the marriage?" she asked, taking another gulp.

"It has been finalized, that's what the bands are for," he sighed, holding up his paw, revealing the ring around his ring finger.

"But has it, brother dear? Have you actually read the full terms of the will? Because I have," she paused to take another drink as a deep frown took hold on his features. "If you want the throne, you and that rabbit are going to have to finalize the marriage… _in bed!_ " she giggled, her sinister grin widening.

His eyes widened almost comically before they narrowed in a blaze of anger, "You little bitch. That's a lie! I've read the will, and it says _nothing_ of the sort!"

"But doesn't it?!" she cackled once more, before bending down, and pulling a small stack of papers from a bag she had hidden near the table she had been leaning on. "Read this here," she snickered, handing him the will, and pointing to a paragraph.

He glanced over the piece of paper eyes narrowing as he read over the paragraph she was pointing at. "I don't see it... it just says a true marriage," he said, glaring at her.

His mother coughed loudly, drawing his attention to her as she hacked into her paw. "That's... what a true marriage _*cough*_ is, Wolfgang," she explained, turning her shaky head towards him.

He gulped audibly, eyes widening, "I don't understand... why has no one said anything until now?"

"I enjoy seeing you squirm," Kat admitted, grinning widely as she stared at him.

"I knew you _*hack*_ wouldn't go through with it if you knew," his mother said weakly. "But it's _*wheeze*_ too late now."

His eyes blazed with righteous anger, "Of course I wouldn't have gone through with this! You know what I think about... _that_." _Oh god… what am I supposed to do?!_ he panicked internally.

"Too late brother dear!" Kat cackled once again, taking another swig of the wine as she did.

"Son… you _*hack*_ you have to," his mother growled, giving him a stern look.

"No... no... I can't... I won't do _that_ to her!"

"Then the throne goes to your _*cough*_ brother!" she shouted, as loud as she could manage. His brother, still holding her up, neither smirked nor grinned. He only stared at Wolfgang, a silent challenge to the white wolf to give up the throne.

"Then I'll kill you all..." Wolfgang hissed, cracking his neck. He had not brought any weapons to the wedding, after all, that's what the security was for. He knew his brother and sister were similarly unarmed… and he could likely beat them in paw-to-paw combat…

His sister laughed, "I doubt as much! Not when it's two-on-one!" His eyes only narrowed. She had a point… separately, they were no match for him… together… it might not go so well for him.

"Son, don't be an _*hack*_ insolent fool! Tonight is your _*cough*_ last chance to finalize it. Or you'll lose your _*wheeze*_ last chance," his mother hissed as best she could.

Wolfgang ground his teeth together as his entire body trembled with anger... or fear. "I'm not sure... I can..." he all but whispered.

"Because you, my dear idealistic brother, are _weak!_ " Kat cackled, tossing the bottle of wine she had been holding behind her. It shattered as it hit the floor, causing Wolfgang to wince.

His eyes narrowed dangerously before he lashed out at her, grabbing her by the throat, and choking her slightly. "At least I _have_ ideals, sister," he snarled.

"And?" she hissed, completely unconcerned that she was losing oxygen. "That is why you are _weak,_ brother!"

"It is the idealistic man who is strong, sister, not the man without morals," he growled, pressing his claws into her throat. "If I am weak, then you are weaker."

Despite having his claws against her throat, she still managed a wide, malicious grin. "You still haven't answered the question! Are you going to take the throne or not?"

"I don't know," he finally let out a sigh. He squeezed her tightly one last time before letting her go. She dropped to the ground, landing on her feet as if he had never been strangling her. "I… I just don't know how to break it to her." He turned and walked away from his sister and the rest of his family, spotting Judy just finishing her dance with the hyena.

The hyena set her down, and she smoothed her lovely dress out. According to Miss Hyena, the photographer would be here soon, and she wanted to look her best for the pictures. She looked over at Wolfgang, who had stopped next to her and the hyena. He put a paw on the hyena's shoulder and motioned for him to leave. The hyena raised an eyebrow, but complied nonetheless.

"Uh... Wolfgang? Is something wrong? You were shouting at your sister..." she said, noting that her husband had an anxious expression on his face. _What the hell happened over there?_ she wondered.

"I need to talk to you outside," he said quickly, motioning towards the exit of the tent. She raised an eyebrow, but followed him outside. The two made their way outside, Wolfgang solemn, Judy confused.

He sat down on the ground, tugging at the grass, though she did not do the same. He let out a deep sigh before clenching his jaws together. "Do you know what a true marriage is defined as?" he asked quietly, unable to look at her, instead choosing to stare off into the distance.

"Yeah! We take vows, put on the rings, and kiss! We're married now," Judy replied, putting a small smile on her face. She was still confused as to what he was concerned about.

He swallowed slowly before taking a deep breath, "I'm afraid... there is one more step... to make it official."

"Like… like what?" she asked, noting the apprehension in his voice.

He gulped audibly. "I didn't want this," he whispered, "I promised I would _never_ do such an act, let alone force it on you... Judy, to finalize the marriage we have to..." he trailed off, not wanting to say it.

Judy's ears sagged as her eyes widened and her mouth hung agape, understanding slamming into her like a truck. "Y-you mean?"

There were practically tears in his eyes as he all but whispered, "My sister may be cruel... but mother would never lie to me."

She shook her head quickly, taking several steps backwards, desperate to get away from him. "You… you said we weren't going to do that!" she shouted, horrified expression written across her face.

"I know... I know... I don't want to. Believe me, I don't want to!" he cried out in response. "It's against my _principles_ , against everything I _stand for_... and _unfair_ to you as a living, thinking being! But my paw is forced. Please, Judy... tell me it's not worth it... tell me the throne isn't worth it."

"The throne? Is that all that's important to you!" she shouted, taking a few more steps back, doing everything in her power not to just bolt from him, and hope for the best. Her ears fell behind her head as tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she thought, _this was the one thing I_ _ **wasn't**_ _supposed to have to worry about!_

"The throne is the only reason I went through with this… it's the only reason I took you and forced you to marry me… but it's not the only thing that matters. It _was_ the most important thing in my life… but not anymore," he admitted. "Now that we've been bound, _you_ have become important to me… and I want you to tell me, after everything that you've learned from me and my family… that the throne is not important."

"Me? How am I important to you?" she asked as her eyes became wet at the awful thought of what was going to happen to her.

"Judy... I think you were right... I think that I've fallen for you... and now... I've screwed us both," he looked down at his feet, jaw clenched as to prevent himself from howling in anguish.

Judy looked down at her feet, past her skirt. She felt a tear run down her cheek, as horrible awful reality kept crashing down onto her… but she released a soft sigh. She walked over to Wolfgang's sitting form and hugged him as tightly as she could, sobbing into his chest. "If you're letting me choose… can I think about it?" she asked, letting her tears fall onto his shirt.

"Of course... I can _never_ force you into this. And... if you decide against it, I will lose gracefully..." he sighed, the prospect of defeat now a looming, probable, eventuality. He had never thought he would lose… and now… it seemed as if he never really had a chance to begin with. _It's as if this entire façade was all for naught,_ he growled internally. "Let's go back and try to enjoy the last bits of our wedding," he suggested, a small smile trying to tug at his lips, but anguish was still embedded deep within his eyes.

She looked up into his eyes. Even while sitting, and her standing, he was much taller than her. "A few moments ago... did you say you love me?" she asked. He had not said it outright… but he had implied it.

"I did..." he admitted quietly. There was no hiding, no running… he wanted her to know. He wanted her to know that she was right.

She did the only thing she could think of. She wrapped her arms around him to the best of her ability, and hugged him tightly. "I'll reciprocate for you then. I promise I will," she whispered. "I'll act like I love you and... maybe not all of it will be an act."

"It's... okay, Judy... you have every right to hate me, and especially for all of this. I expect nothing more than that... I don't want you to feel like you have to fake or lie to me... I just want you to be happy..." he whispered in response, "I understand what it means now... and I will cope with it... I will survive just as I have always done."

"Let me decide Wolfgang... let me decide. Let me choose to be happy with what I have. Let me decide how I act... we're husband and wife... that's what we have," she said, remembering the words of the strange hyena.

"I will... I will let you decide," he sighed, leading her back into the tent, their conversation finished. _I could not force her either way,_ he sighed internally. He growled when he saw the smirk on his sister's face, but refrained from attacking her again.

"The photographer's here, Wolfgang," she said, noticing a small badger setting up in one of the corners of the tent.

"Indeed. shall we have our picture taken, Mrs. Fritz?" he asked, smile returning to his face.

"Mrs. Fritz would like that," she let out a sigh. The two made their way over to the photographer, who was finishing setting up his camera. "Hello," Judy greeted the photographer with a small wave.

"So, you two are the happy couple?" he asked with a grin.

"You could say that," she replied, too quietly for him to hear her.

"We are," Wolfgang repeated louder. He had heard her words and... they hurt, just a bit, but he shook them off.

"Then I take it you're here to get your picture taken!" the badger said, smile never wavering.

"I only want three pictures. One with me being held by Wolfgang, one with the two of us standing next to each other, and another with me on his shoulders," she commanded. The white wolf raised an eyebrow at the odd positions, but the badger only nodded in response.

The photographer got behind his camera and took a few of Wolfgang holding Judy as they both managed a smile for the camera. Then, she was hoisted on his shoulders and stood on them for another few... and finally the last one, where Wolfgang let his paw hang by his side so she could reach it, holding his paw for the final picture.

"Our honeymoon is right after this, right?" she asked as the badger began putting away his camera. He waved farewell to the _happy_ couple and began to cart his equipment away. He had only been hired to take pictures of the married couple.

"Yes," Wolfgang answered quietly, clearly not even remotely excited about the honeymoon. "I've rented a private jet... we can go anywhere you want for the night."

"Anywhere... anywhere at all?" she asked, leaning up against his leg.

"Anywhere you want to go," he nodded.

"Uh… what would you recommend?" The only other place she had been besides Zootopia was Bunnyburrow… but she doubted he wanted to go there for their honeymoon… and neither did she. It was too close to her family. She still didn't want them to know.

"I don't know... what do you want to see?"

"Well... what if we went to Paris? The most romantic city in the world?"

He chuckled and said, "You're wish is my command. Shall we go now, my dear?"

"Yes Wolfgang... now would be splendid," she smiled sweetly at her husband, still unsure of what she was going to do. _At least… at least I get to decide,_ she sighed to herself.

"Come then, my dear," he said, taking her paw. He led her to his car, his sister's smirk seemingly following them, though she was definitely drunk by now. He started the engine and drove towards the landing strip where their jet would be waiting. Where he would either crash and burn… or ascend to his rightful place. It was all up to her.

XXX

 **Lots of good stuff here. Let's start at the top. We learn a bit about Miss Hyena, though we still don't know her real name… and we have confirmed, as many of you have suspected, that she is indeed Shenzi's younger sister. And she begs Judy to get Shenzi to Wolfgang somehow, so he can deactivate her collar, which makes sense. And, from what we know of Wolfy, he's liable to highly agree with that course of action.**

 **Now, the second important thing to note is that odd hyena. The one with the red eyes. Don't forget about him… he'll be making another appearance later in the story. If you were paying attention last chapter, you might have even caught his name… as Wolfgang says it near the end of the chapter.**

 **And last, but certainly not least, is the whole idea of** ** _forced consummation._** **I made up the definition of a** ** _true_** **marriage, obviously to add a bit more drama to the story, so humor me. If you had been paying attention, you might have actually seen this coming… as we've been foreshadowing this eventuality since Judy was kidnapped by Wolfgang. And it was implied heavily by Miss Hyena earlier in this very chapter…**

 **And now they're off to Paris. Whether or not Judy will make that sacrifice to put him on the throne is yet to be seen. Now… the last thing to leave you with will be** ** _why_** **Wolfgang is so adamant about her having to choose. I mean… couldn't he just take her by force? Like Nick thinks he has? I'll let that slosh around in your minds… until next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Nuclear:

Author's Note:

 **As some of you may have noticed… the rating for this story has finally been bumped. I'll let you all make of that what you will. In any case… this is a relatively short chapter in comparison to the last ones… it only encompasses Wolfgang and Judy's honeymoon in Paris. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Judy licked her lips slowly as she and Wolfgang sat down on the private jet. It certainly was luxurious, with nice leather seats, a television, and even a table between the married couple. The engines of the jet roared, and the plane began to move.

"And so… Judy Fritz is now wed to her handsome husband," she said, looking up at Wolfgang who sat across from her, the table between them.

"And so too is Wolfgang Fritz, who has been bound to his lovely wife," he grinned as the jet made it into the air and began their long flight to Paris.

"We're married... a few days ago, I would have attached swear words to that statement," she explained, letting out a defeated sigh. She couldn't believe it… but she couldn't bring herself to hate this anymore. Not after all she had been though.

"And I don't blame you for that," he said softly. "It's a few hour's flight."

"A few hours during which we can talk," she said, putting her paws on the table, folding them.

He gulped, "What do we have to say?" He… he still wasn't sure what was going to happen. _I don't even know if…_ his mind trailed off as he too placed his paws onto the table, folding them as he did.

"Well… we're husband and wife now... let's talk about how we'll make this work," she gave him a smile. "Now that I know… you love me."

"All right..." he trailed off, unsure of where she was going with this. He had already told her multiple times how he planned on treating her and what she would be allowed to do. _Has that changed now that I realize I love her?_ he wondered.

"Well... so far, all I know is that you'll let me leave the house every day to do as I wish… so long as I return to you at the end of the day. I'll be faithful to you Wolfgang... I can promise you that because... well... you've treated me well," she shrugged.

"And, although I doubt I have to say this, but I shall be faithful to you as well, as I will be here for you at the end of each day," he said, managing a small smile.

"That's good…" she sighed, leaning back in her chair. The two of them lapsed into silence once again, only the drone of the engines surrounding them. Judy wasn't even sure where she was going with this… she already knew what he was going to let her do.

He allowed the silence to drag for nearly ten minutes before he asked, out of the blue, "What did Janja have to say?"

"Oh... the hyena?" she asked, looking back up at him. He nodded in response. "Well... he basically told me that becoming your wife was fate... and that I couldn't escape fate so... I should make the best of it," she replied.

He rolled his eyes so hard she could almost hear them. "Of course he'd say that. He's been trying to convince me of the existence of fate for years now," he sighed. "Do you believe him?"

"No."

"Well I don't either. Fate seems to be for fools who believe they have no control over their lives. I want to have control, and it's only logical you do as well," he said. "We've been debating this topic for years. I've never yielded and neither has he."

"And I don't think either of you will. It's not one of those things that can be proven," she sighed.

"Most likely," he sighed. "He's always so adamant about it, though… and he always starts arguing during our fencing bouts. Do you know how hard it is to fight and talk at the same time? It's not as easy as it looks in movies."

"Everything is different in the movies," she grinned. "I don't think you can jump through glass windows and be perfectly all right."

"Nah, ya gotta shoot it first," he said with a grin.

"What if we drove our cars through it?" she asked, making a gesture with her paws as if she was driving a car.

"That works too," he chuckled. "I've jumped through glass once, but I've never driven a car through glass before."

"When did you jump… actually, I might not want to know," she smirked.

He shrugged in response, "There's not much of a story there, but yeah... I don't think you want to know." She only shrugged and giggled, she almost _did_ want to know. He laid back letting out a sigh... they still had a few hours to go.

"Where do you want to go first?" Wolfgang asked, trying to keep her awake over the course of the flight.

"Hmm… there are so many choices," she mumbled, trying to think about what there was to see in Paris. "Oh, there's a bridge over the Seine called the Pont Des Arts… it's supposed to be romantic," she sighed, leaning back in her seat.

"Your wish is my command," he chuckled, pulling out his phone. He knew roughly where the plane would be landing, and he managed to find a map with directions from the landing strip to the bridge she had mentioned. He hesitated, but mumbled, "I'll also book us a hotel for the night."

She didn't hear his response, she was already asleep. He shook his head at her sleeping form, she was so beautiful. He let out a sigh and pocketed his phone, sleep not coming easily to him. He stared at her sleeping form, alone with his thoughts at last.

 _I… I can't… I can't do this,_ he clenched his jaws together. His weakness… his one weakness. He had thought, he had hoped, that it would have just been as simple as _take someone, force them to marry me, then I win._ But it wasn't… nothing was ever that simple.

He was reluctant to tell her that… loosing gracefully meant, if she so wished, letting her go. No matter what he felt about her… if she chose not to help him… he would let her go. He began to panic more and more the closer the jet got to Paris. Not just because of the prospect of losing the throne forever, though that _was_ a daunting reality that was quickly setting in, but the fact that no matter which choice Judy made, _neither_ were preferable to him.

The plane landed so smoothly that Judy wasn't woken immediately, but Wolfgang was still wide awake. He blinked a few times as he realized that they were here. With a soft sigh, he leaned across the table, and touched her shoulder gently, saying, "My dear Mrs. Fritz... we're here."

Judy opened her eyes slowly and yawned. "Are... are we here?" she asked as she stretched out her legs.

"Indeed, we are," he said with a smile. "Are you ready to see Paris?"

"The famed city of love? Oh yes... with you, anyways," she said, getting up from her seat. The two of them exited the jet, stepping onto the landing pad. They would spend a single night here, and the next morning as well, before they would head back to Zootopia.

"Have you been before? I have... though that's another story you may not wish to hear," he sighed.

"I've never been in the city of love before," she admitted with a shrug. She wasn't sure what was compelling her to continue to refer to the city as _the city of love_ and not just _Paris._

"Well I haven't exactly seen much of the city. My visit was mostly contained to the… seedy underbelly of the city," he explained with a small smirk.

"The good parts are the parts we want to see," she said. The duo made their way away from the landing strip, past the airport, and into the famed city of love. Wolfgang once again pulled out his phone and led them towards the Pont Des Arts.

Unsurprisingly, they were not the only couple on the bridge… though none of the pairings present were as odd as a rabbit and a wolf. Judy couldn't help but chuckle nervously, she had never been in public with Wolfgang before. "Let's hope we don't draw too many stares…" she said as they leaned over the side of the bridge to look over at the water.

The newlyweds drew a few stares, though the other couples mostly minded their own business. This was Paris, the city of love… and love had no limits between species. Wolfgang lifted her slightly so she could have a better look over the bridge. The sun was setting in the background, casting fire onto the waters below.

She couldn't help but giggle a bit, the extreme height difference between the two of them was almost comical. She wondered what they looked like from an outside observer, but she didn't dwell on that thought. There were more important things to think about.

She let out a content sigh as she sat on the rails of the bridge, turning to face Wolfgang. "Is it everything you hoped it would be and more?" he asked, a smile stretching across his face.

Judy paused, she didn't want to answer that. At least not yet. "So... you love me Wolfgang," she said, changing the subject. She still had a choice to make… and she still had no idea what she was going to do.

"I... can no longer deny it as truth... as fact. I do indeed love you, Mrs. Fritz," he continued to smile.

"Did it ever cross your mind that something like this would happen?" she asked, swinging her legs back and forth as she sat on the railing of the bridge. "That you could fall in love with a bunny… or fall for me when your henchmen tossed me onto your table?"

"When I was young, arrogance blinded me to the world, thus I sought isolation from what I thought to be danger..." he started after a brief pause. "I had never once thought of love, relationships... or any other animal as any more than what they were. I was raised _not_ to feel such things... I did not love my mother, nor my father, nor my brother... not even my sister before she lost it. So... I had never considered a rabbit as a partner... nor even you when you came tumbling onto my table. It was just... good business at that time."

"But we talked and I grew to enjoy your company, and it became clear to me that I could live with this... I could live with you and be happy," he said slowly. "But then I started to feel this... spark in my chest. It had told me there was more here, and I guess I first started thinking about it that second day when you brought it up... when the small blip was born. And... the wedding... just ignited it. And now..." he didn't finish, though he did let out a deep sigh.

"So, I guess you'd love to spend the rest of your life with me," she said warmly. Wolfgang's confession… made her feel a little guilty, to be honest. In more ways than one. Him falling in love with her was _her_ fault… not his. If she hadn't tried to seduce him on that second day… that spark would never have been born… and then…

"I... have never been more sure that I was wrong before. I... love you, Judy, of course I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he all but whispered. "But... I understand your apprehension... more than you can possibly imagine."

"Well, at least you care about me Wolfgang. That's where the best relationships start," she explained, smile still present on her face.

He returned the smile, though there was a hint of fear in his amber eyes. Something she couldn't quite identify. "I do care about you, my dearest Judy... I do care about you," he said softly.

She sighed again, but not a happy sigh. "What's bothering you?" she finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

He clenched his jaws and through gritted teeth, he replied, "I'm... I... I don't know." That was a lie. He _did_ know… he did _very_ much know what was wrong.

"You can tell your own wife... just have a stab at it," she coaxed.

"I'm just worried that you'll think me a monster... more of a monster than you already do, I should say," he admitted, before taking a deep breath. "For some reason... that matters to me now..."

"Well... whatever you've done previously... you don't have to be a monster. You seem to me that you've got the potential to do good things... you could do good... for me," she said.

"You have more power now over me than you can possibly imagine… but I wasn't talking about that," he sighed. "Do you know why I was adamant that I would _never_ force you into... well... _it_?"

Judy raised her eyebrows. "Oh... you're opening up to me... well, sure, you should tell your wife about yourself, I'll understand," she said, a little bit surprised. She knew that he still had secrets from her, and she knew Miss Hyena had suggested that she try and pry them out of him, but she hadn't thought he would divulge them willingly.

"It's not because of you... it's significantly more selfish than that, I'm afraid," he sighed. He paused to lick his lips and take a deep breath. _God… this is harder than I thought,_ he growled internally. "I need you to understand something. The throne is… it means so much to me, I _cannot_ allow my brother to take it. I _cannot_ allow _anyone_ to take it, and I am willing to fight tooth and claw to protect _my_ inheritance. It's the _only_ reason I took you, Judy… violating my _own_ principles, that's how much the throne means to me."

"O-oh…" she said slowly. In truth, she knew that already, she was unsure of why he was telling this to her again.

"I want it _so badly_ that… although I… we… need to… _finalize_ the marriage… I would take it from you. By force… if…" he trailed off. She leaned closer to him, desperate to hear what came next as he swallowed audibly. Her eyes widened as a tremor passed through his body and his legs began to quiver beneath him.

"If I wasn't absolutely petrified of sex. It's… _fear_ … not morality, not kindness, not understanding of your situation. That's why I'm so hesitant, despite knowing that this is my only chance to get the throne… it's why I'm willing to throw it _all_ away," he sighed. "Because of the one fear I could never conquer."

Her eyes widened in surprise when she heard his words. Although she was a bit put-off by his brutal honesty towards what he would do if that fear was absent, she had to admit that she felt a great wealth of pity for him. Coitophobia, she had no idea.

She reached out and grabbed one of his paws, holding it tight between her own two little paws. "Where did this fear come from?" she asked solemnly, looking up into his eyes.

"I don't know… it's something I don't understand... when I was eighteen my mother forced a concubine to see me, in hopes that she might loosen me up a bit... prepare me more for the real world," he admitted. "But I felt that fear grip me for the first time... I panicked... and I shot the she-wolf through the skull. She didn't do anything wrong... I was just... terrified, and I still don't know why."

"Oh..." she sighed. She figured the less she knew about his past, the easier this whole thing would be. But she had to be understanding... she was his wife after all. And… she was still unsure of what she wanted to do. "Well... you know, we can rid you of that fear. Together," she said, squeezing his paw. It was a silent plea for him to convince her that she needed to do this.

"I won't force you to do anything... my dearest Judy," he ground his teeth together. "This is something that I cannot force you to do... you must make the decision to force _me_. If not..." he hesitated. He really didn't want to reveal this to her… but he would not lie to her.

"And I do not take the throne... and my brother does... you can... go... free..." he said, tears leaking from his eyes. He finally couldn't hold it back. His legs were shaking, whether from anger or fear, she wasn't sure. "There'd be no point then..." he whispered, though he didn't truly believe it. "I would have to leave Zootopia... and run far away... and you might have to leave too. Tell me that the throne is worth it... my dearest... tell me it's worth facing this fear."

"And if I say yes? Will that conquer your fear?" she asked softly, giving a small smile in hopes of reassuring him.

"I don't know," he whispered finally looking down at her. "If you chose to say yes... you'll truly have to help me... I may... just break." He was hesitant to admit it, but it was true... he very well could just shatter into a million pieces, never to recover. Then it would be the same as putting his sister on the throne... which would be bad for everyone.

"How about we go to a hotel for the night?" she asked, deciding to switch to something more lighthearted. "It is getting late." The sun had long since dipped below the Seine, darkness now the only thing reflected in the waters.

"Indeed... if that is what you wish," he said so softly she could barely hear him.

"Carry me there?" she gave him a wide grin, still trying to raise his spirits. He finally returned her smile. This was the part he enjoyed. He lifted her into his arms, ignoring the odd looks they received, and began to carry her towards the hotel he had booked a room in. He allowed the thoughts of what might very well happen vanish to the back of his mind, concentrating instead on her joyous expression as he carried her all the way to the hotel.

They checked in for the night and, her still in his arms, made their way towards their room. They entered the room, one large bed for the both of them looming against the back wall. Wolfgang set her down on the bed and she immediately said, "Now… I think you should go wash up."

He gave her a confused look, but did as she told, walking into the bathroom, and shutting the door behind him. The room was lavish, the best room in the entire hotel, and the bathroom reflected that. He stripped off his suit jacket, tossing it aside, and leaned over the sink, splashing water into his face. He still had no idea what was going to happen... but he would accept it, no matter what.

Judy looked at the shut door, swallowing hard. Honestly, she had decided that she was going to do it on the bridge. Considering the difference in species, she was sure it was going to hurt but… she was sure she could take it. Given that everything hung in the balance, she had no other choice but to take it.

She would do this for Zootopia. She would do this for Wolfgang, to help him get through his fear. She would do this for Nick, to confront the suddenly, very real fear that sometime in the future… she could lose her affection she held for him. In exchange for the affection she would hold for another.

With deep, hesitant, breaths, she took her wedding dress off, setting it aside gently on one of the couches in the room. She continued to strip, removing her undergarments until she was like rabbits were supposed to be. Like all animals had been those many years ago. She sat on the bed, blushing as red as a tomato, and stared at the door, waiting for him to open it.

He paused at the door, hesitating in turning the knob. _Can I do this?_ he thought to himself, unable to suppress the shiver that passed down his spine. Slowly, ever so slowly, he turned the knob and opened the door, still mostly fully dressed, to see Judy lying on the bed, bare as the day she was born.

 _Oh,_ he thought to himself as her scent reached his nose and his jaws clenched tightly. He stepped forward on shaky legs, fear racing through his body, no matter how hard that fire tried to fight it... the fear was dousing the flames. _Don't panic... don't panic,_ he tried to repeat to himself as he made it to the edge of the bed, but his mind was quickly becoming blank.

"H-hey, Wolfgang," she said, raising her ears as she blushed madly. She could see it… he wasn't lying. Fear was taking ahold of him, gripping him to his very core. _This… this isn't going to be easy,_ she realized as he had yet to answer her.

"H-h-hey..." he mumbled, finally managing to find his tongue. A light tinge had started to rise to his ears, though it was mostly overshadowed by the trembles that passed through his entire body.

She stood on the bed and walked up to him as he stared at her with wide... fearful eyes. "Listen Wolfgang... you have to do this. You remember the spark you told me about? Let that overcome your shivering... let your fire warm you… let me and you light a fire warmer than the sun itself... it's not hard Wolfgang..." she whispered, setting a paw on his chest.

The moment her paw made contact with him, though it was through a layer of fabric, he could feel the fires again. Although it fought valiantly against the fear, it was not quite enough. His legs still shook and there was still fear in his eyes, but he had regained his tongue, allowing him to say, "My dearest... Judy..." He gave her a nervous smile as he tried harder to reign his fear in.

 _It's just in your mind, it's just in your mind, it's just in your mind,_ was now becoming an effective mantra as he fought back. The red further rose to his ears and cheeks as he realized where he was, and what was happening to him, further stoking the flames to help fight the fear.

Judy smiled, even standing on the bed she still wasn't quite tall enough. "Lean down," she commanded quietly. Wolfgang slowly complied, and before he could say anything, she leaned into him, and kissed him, even more fully than she had at the wedding.

In that moment, the blaze went nuclear, pumping out more power and energy than he could even comprehend, banishing the fear to the very back of his mind. But he knew, still in that dark corner, that he still had his clothes on... this would be an uphill battle for both of them. But he let the heat wash over him as he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her ever closer to him.

They embraced each other, as tightly as they could manage with him still standing, continuing their lip lock, both feeling intense warmth running through their bodies. Judy had her eyes closed as they kept their lips pressed together. Strangely enough… she didn't want to stop. Not in that moment. She would deal with regrets later. Right now... she loved it.

There was a small spike of fear, and the smallest twinge of pain, as he felt her practically drag him onto the bed. He landed on his back and she immediately pounced onto his chest. She tore at his shirt and he, as calmly as he could with his shaking fingers, assisted her in removing it. Medical gauze was still wrapped around his torso, but that wasn't the point. It was yet another barrier removed between them.

She kissed him again as he tossed his shirt aside before they broke apart, both breathing deeply. He clenched his jaws together when he saw her gazing down at him from her position on his chest. Her eyes had glazed over with a lustful haze. She wanted this even more than he did.

He could do nothing to stop her from shimmying down his body and reaching for his belt, planting herself between his legs. He gulped audibly as she undid his belt and slipped it off from around his waist. She tossed it away, the leather strip landing with a dull sound as it hit the carpeted floor.

He couldn't help the tremor that passed through his entire body as she slowly pulled his pants from his body, taking his undergarments with them. Now he was just as bare as she was. He gulped again and backed up quickly, nearly hitting his head on the headboard as he tried to get away.

She gave him a confused look, before she shook her head. "Calm down, Wolfgang… I'm not going to hurt you… this won't hurt you…" she said, as if speaking to a child. Making this all the weirder. And yet… she couldn't stop herself from inching closer to him once again, crawling on all fours towards him.

He continued to stare at her, his eyes wide and his breaths came slowly and deliberately as he tried his hardest not to hyperventilate. "What are you-" he began to ask, but she cut him off by putting a finger to her lips.

"Shh… shh… don't worry about it," she shushed him. His eyes widened when she grasped the base of his partially-erect member, before running her paw along the length, earning a hiss from him.

He watched, unable and unwilling to do anything to stop her as she stroked him, the war still raging in his mind. But the fire was starting to win, pushing the fear back for good. Maybe… annihilating it completely. But he was so absorbed with his internal struggle that he nearly missed her licking him tentatively.

He let out a gasp as she ran her tongue along his length, before placing a chaste kiss at the tip, then starting over from the bottom… as if it was a lollypop. His jaws clenched tightly as she did this several times. Pushing the fear away, he grabbed ahold of the headboard, claws scoring across the wood as he tried not to buck, which would hit her in the face and knock her away from him. And he _definitely_ didn't want that.

She giggled as he finally seemed to relax, the blaze seemingly winning. She continued to lick him, a new concern gracing her mind. He was _huge_ , especially compared to her. She didn't want it to hurt like hell… which meant he had to be well-lubricated. Smirking to herself as she started at the base once again, trailing her tongue across his member, this time, instead of a kiss at the tip, she tried something different.

She placed the entire head into her mouth, causing him to release another gasp, though this one seemed to be more of pleasure, rather than surprise. She couldn't help but chuckle, the vibrations causing him to nearly thrust into her throat. She bobbed her head back and forth, sticking with just the tip, as he gripped the headboard even harder as he fought the temptation to just impale her. That would come later.

Her ears dropped behind her head as she found a rhythm that worked well, relaxing her throat muscles as to take in more of him. She could feel the heat pouring into her loins as she realized the very thing that was in her mouth at the moment would soon be much lower… she could hardly wait.

She continued to take in more of him, neither of them quite realizing how much of his length had vanished into her maw when he let out a loud groan and thrusted once into her. Her eyes watered quickly as she coughed loudly, she had taken nearly half of him before he plunged the rest of his manhood into her throat, his knot hitting her small nose.

Concern immediately flashed across his eyes as she pulled away from him, coughing loudly. "Judy!" he called out, worried that he had hurt her. He would _never_ forgive himself if he hurt her. Nothing was worth hurting her.

She coughed a few times before turning to smirk at him, wiping away a strand of saliva that had begun to drip from the side of her mouth. "I'm fine," she grinned, though she was thankful for the concern. "It's time for the main event."

He nodded slowly, reality crashing down onto him once again. The fear of him hurting her had managed to slow the fire's onslaught, and the fear once again gripped his mind. But, as he watched her lay back on the bed, spreading herself for him, he couldn't stop himself from crawling on top of her, looking down at her as she smiled up at him.

"I'm… I'm not sure about this…" he stuttered, the fear's last chance at stopping this.

Judy frowned as she heard those words. After everything she had already done for him… he was still afraid? "Well... Wolfgang, listen to me. You can't let fear rule you... innocent lives need you to conquer that fear," she commanded. She couldn't have him backing out now! Not when _she_ wanted it more than he did.

When her words only seemed to make his shaking worse, she sighed, "Wolfgang... I need you to conquer that fear. Do it for me... the one you love." She drew him back in, desperately needing him to do this, their lips meeting once again.

And that fire consumed him once more, fear vanishing just long enough for him to throw himself over the edge. And by the time his manhood began to sink into her, it was too late for the fear to do anything about it. She let out a scream mixed with pleasure and pain as he slowly entered her. She grasped at his chest fur, just above the medical gauze, as he halted and looked down at her, concern still dancing in his eyes.

"Don't you _dare_ stop!" she cried out. He blinked, but nodded to himself, continuing to press himself further into her. He went purposely slow, unwilling to hurt her, and yet, as the feeling of being filled and stretched spread throughout her body, she couldn't help but buck her hips, desperate to take more of him. He, unable to make any comment towards her desperation, continued to press onwards at his slow pace, despite her bucking hips, until he hit something within her, that caused her to let loose another scream, though this one significantly more filled with pleasure than pain.

Realizing that she was at her limit with what she could take, he began to pull out, slowly. In all, she had managed to take just over half of him, impressive, considering their size difference. She groaned at the sudden feeling of emptiness, before he began his plunge once again, pace still _tauntingly_ slow. Growling to herself, she attempted to demand he go faster, but found that she could not find her tongue.

He looked down at her as he pulled out again to see her making odd gestures with her paws. Fearing the worse, he paused at her entrance and asked, "What's wrong?"

She glared at him as she worked to find her tongue, eventually managing to say, "I need you to go _faster_!" He nodded, though still concerned about her wellbeing, and attempted to increase his pace, just a little faster than before. "When I said _faster,_ I meant _faster_ , not slower!" she managed to groan.

His eye twitched, but he did as she requested, burying himself in her in one, fast stroke, causing her to cry out again. Noting that the scream was entirely in pleasure, he continued at that pace, pulling out and plunging back in before she could barely even take a breath. All she could do was hold onto his fur as he set that reckless pace, doing her best to let her hips meet his with each thrust.

His ragged breaths came out in mere pants as he felt her walls constricting around him. Realizing what this meant, though he could barely think over her screaming and moaning, he attempted to increase his speed again, now just as desperate for a release as she was. That fire was quickly consuming more and more of him as he fed it more tinder.

 _Her_ fire had nearly consumed her entirety, no longer could she even attempt to meet his hips with her own, nor even grasp his fur, as she lied against the bed, her back arched in one last desperate attempt to allow him to go deeper. She could feel her explosion just around the corner, she just needed _a_ _little bit more_.

And that little bit came when he hit her core harder from his increased speed. She let out another scream and tried to wrap her legs around his waist, to lock him in place, but she was unable to get her legs completely around his waist, nor was she able to lock him in place as he kept thrusting in and out of her. He was unable to stop and look down at her, but he did notice the change in pitch of her scream and he could feel her walls clench even tighter in her explosion.

Realizing he couldn't hold out much longer either, he continued to thrust into her, even as she lied back, flat on the bed, completely spent. She attempted to giggle when he lifted his head and howled in his own explosion, though she could only manage a breathless chuckle. A small groan tore from her throat as she felt him leave her completely and he too lied flat on the bed, panting just as heavily as she was. It was then the thought dawned on both of them. Their marriage was sealed.

 _He had won._

XXX

 **Hopefully I gave you all enough warning. If you would like me to warn you in future author's notes about the lemon in the chapter, all you have to do is ask, and I shall do so. If you'd rather have it be a surprise, I won't say anything of the sort in future author's notes.**

 **As for the lemon itself… uh… how'd I do? I mean I've written one of these things before (and there's going to be a few more in this story), but I won't even pretend to know what I'm doing. In any case… what does this mean? Is Judy complacent now? I mean… she seemed pretty into it and all… or will something happen to tear them apart again? Stay tuned until next time to find out!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 - Invigorating:

Author's Note:

 **Yup, last chapter was our first taste of our new rating. From the few responses I got, it sounds like the majority of you do want a warning of some kind. A warning that I shall put in the author's note if there does happen to be a lemon in the chapter. There isn't one here, so no need to worry.**

 **In any case, lots of fun things last chapter. And it really seemed as if Judy was into it… I wonder how that's changed her perception of her kidnapping and marriage. I wonder if, like Wolfgang wanted, she's content now. And, of course, I wonder how Nick will react if he finds out… somehow. Lots of good questions to answer… please, enjoy!**

XXX

The morning was not unlike the night, dark and dreary without her. Nick let out a long sigh as he leaned back on the couch. He missed Judy something terrible. But, he supposed… it would not be much longer until he got her back… as long as Mr. Big came through for him. "Good morning Nice Fox!" Shenzi said with a cheery smile, walking into the living room to see the fox on the couch.

"Hey," he sighed, stretching. It was the fourth day in a row where Shenzi had slept where Judy had... and he had woken up obscenely early. He had stopped trying to be productive, instead choosing to just sit and stare off into space. It wasn't like Shenzi hadn't filled a void where Judy once lied… it just wasn't the same.

If the hyena wasn't so naïve, and gave the fox a closer look, she would have started to see dark bags form underneath his vivid, green eyes, gray in his normally robust, red fur, and that his tail seemed to be perpetually drooping, no matter the circumstance. "The chief called!" she said, "The Stern Ox."

"Oh? What did he have to say?" Nick asked. He didn't bother to correct her on the fact that chief Bogo was actually a cape buffalo, and not an ox. It didn't matter.

"He said something about looking Nice Carrots up in the database or something. And something about frisky, I think," she explained, recalling the rather one sided conversation. The Nice Fox had left his phone on the nightstand when the call came. She had spent several desperate minutes trying to figure out how to get it to work before she heard the voice of the Stern Ox.

"What? Frisky?" Nick said, eyebrow raised. "I have no idea what he's talking about. Why would he want me to search her in the database?" Shenzi only shrugged… she had forgotten what the chief had said. Rolling his eyes, he opened his laptop, typed in the password, and pulled up the proper program to search for Judy.

Shenzi sat down next to him on the couch. She looked over at the Nice Fox as he froze, staring at the screen, stuttering something she couldn't quite understand. "What does it say?" she asked.

Nick's eyes were wide as he stared at the screen, "No... that's not possible," he mumbled repeatedly. He couldn't believe it. The system wasn't pulling up a _Judy Hopps_... it was pulling up _Judy Fritz_ instead. A picture of a smiling Judy sat underneath the strange name, and beside the picture was her data. Height, weight, age, etcetera.

"Why is there a Fritz... and no Hopps?" Shenzi asked, scratching the back of her neck. She didn't quite understand what had happened. "Where's Nice Carrots?"

Nick gulped as he realized what must have happened to her. _The… the wedding was yesterday?!_ he growled internally. But he had to say something to Shenzi. "That _is_ Carrots, Shenzi… that's her picture and her data, right? There's only one reason for her to have changed her name…"

The hyena raised an eyebrow. She had never heard of such an occurrence. "Which is?" she asked, still confused as to what was going on.

"She was married to Wolfgang," he muttered. _So his last name was Fritz, eh?_ he thought bitterly to himself. He couldn't stop the tears leaking from his eyes... he could only imagine the suffering that would be going through Judy's mind at that moment. _Oh god... what if he forced himself on her to seal the marriage?_ the thought he couldn't stop from rising in his mind.

"Oh... she's in trouble," she whispered, trepidation creeping through her as she struggled to understand what had happened to Nice Carrots.

"Major trouble…" he mumbled, "I just hope she's not traumatized. And I hope this Wolfgang's mother dies soon… I'm not sure how much longer I can wait to save her!"

Shenzi's brow furrowed when she saw that flash of determination cross Nick's features, she could swear she had forgotten something. She lit up and all but shouted, "Oh! Nice Fox, I almost forgot!"

He gave her an odd look, raising an eyebrow as he did. "You almost forgot what?" he asked.

"I have a message from Nice Carrots!" she said, remembering something from the night before.

"Oh? Who gave it to you?" he asked, hope rising in his chest. Though he did not doubt it was indeed a message from Judy, he was concerned how she got it. _Did Judy somehow contact her?_ he wondered before she managed to answer.

"Nice Wolf told me!" she replied, grin stretching across her muzzle.

Now she had his attention. "Wolfard? How did he get a message from Judy?" he asked.

"I don't remember," she admitted. She didn't think the Nice Wolf had actually told her how he had managed to get the message. "But he said that Nice Carrots said she was sorry, and that she was trying to get permission to see you soon!"

He couldn't help the sob that tore from his throat. _Judy's coming!_ he thought to himself. "That's… that's something I really needed to hear, thank you, Spots," he sighed. But there was one word that stood out. Permission? How would she get permission… to see him? From who? Wolfgang? Would this crime lord really let them meet?

She saw tears beginning to stream down his cheek and worry began to rise in her chest. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked carefully. She didn't like seeing the Nice Fox sad…

"No... Spots... you just made me really happy," he smiled, despite the tears. "Sometimes happiness can make you cry... and now we have hope, right? Judy is still alive, and she's doing her best to come and see us!"

"That's good!" she gave him a wide smile, glad that she hadn't made him cry. "I hope she comes to see us…"

"I hope so too… I hope so too," he sighed, leaning back on the couch. He sat there, staring at the ceiling, the jubilation from hearing Judy's message fading in his mind, allowing him to think clearly once more. And as he did, he realized something was wrong. "Hey… Spots."

"Yeah?"

"You don't think Wolfard is somehow… I don't know… connected to this Wolfgang creep, do you?" he asked. He doubted Wolfard had given Shenzi an explanation for how he had gotten a message from Judy, and the hyena clearly trusted the timber wolf, and wouldn't think to ask.

"I don't think so… that would make him a Mean Wolf, wouldn't it?" she asked, rubbing her chin. She couldn't quite remember… if the Nice Wolf had said how he had gotten the message. "But he's a Nice Wolf! I think he's being helpful!"

"Helpful, huh?" he muttered. "Perhaps… possible mole is more likely, however." If Wolfard was a mole for Wolfgang, that would explain how he had gotten a "message" from Judy. _What if it's just a diversion? Trying to breed complacency and keep me away from her, believing that she would eventually reach out to me?_ the thought crossed his mind.

"But… but he's a N-Nice Wolf," Shenzi protested. She was confused now, was the wolf officer dangerous? She watched as Nick stood from his spot on the couch, closing his laptop as he did.

"Come on, Spots, we're going in early… Wolfard's shift should be starting soon," he growled, walking towards his room to get his uniform. If Wolfard was a mole, then Bogo would want to know. And he needed to be absolutely sure before he told the chief anything.

XXX

Judy opened her eyes as light flooded into the hotel room. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light. She tried to move, but was halted when pain flashed through her system. _Man… I'm sore,_ she groaned internally. She lied still for a moment, before trying to move again, this time ignoring the pain.

However, she found that she was trapped. Wolfgang had her in his grasp, pressing her against his bare chest in a tight embrace. He was still asleep, breathing soft and even as he curled around her even tighter as he felt her shift.

Although he held her tight, he wasn't suffocating her. His embrace was actually quite… comfortable. She almost didn't want to leave. She tried to move again, his strong paws never loosening their grip on her. But she didn't give up, eventually squirming free. "Oh lord," she muttered as she scooted away from him. Her rump hurt something fierce, extremely sore from their… activities the night before.

She spent several seconds, stretching her legs, trying to ease the soreness and pain from them. She let out a yawn and turned back to Wolfgang. "Wake up," she commanded, reaching out, and touching one of the paws that had held her throughout the night.

"I don't want to," he groaned. His eyes die not open, but he did shift so that he was laying on his back. He let out a long breath through his nose as he relaxed again, hoping that sleep would take him once more.

She wasn't having any of that, however. She climbed onto his chest and flopped down, belly up, letting her ears fall onto his muzzle as she did. "But it's morning," she said. "It's time to get up."

He only shifted, her body on his chest only made him melt further into the bed. "I'm too comfortable to get up… can't we just enjoy the peace and quiet?" he mumbled, still partially asleep.

"We can sit here and talk if you want," she conceded, picking at her teeth. In truth, she didn't really want to get up either. But she knew that they needed to get back to Zootopia soon. And they couldn't do that laying here in bed.

His eyes opened slowly and reluctantly. "What's on your mind?" he asked with a deep sigh.

"I liked last night," she said simply, shrugging as she did.

"I… I did too," he admitted softly, a small tremor passing through his body.

She let out a soft sigh as she felt the shiver run through his body. _He can't still be afraid… can he?_ she wondered internally. She was half-tempted to ask for round two, but she instead asked, "We're going back today, right?"

"Eventually," he sighed, still not quite awake. "As much as I'd love to stay here for a few days… I really must be there if mother passes. We can still spend a bit of time wandering around before we go, if you wish."

"Where would we go?" she asked, swiveling her ears so that they smacked him in the face.

He blinked before moving her ears away from his eyes with his paws. "Anywhere you want," he answered her question with a loud yawn.

"Well… we _are_ in Paris… let's go to the Eiffel Tower," she recommended, before a sly grin rose on her face, though he was in no position to see it. "And kiss up there."

"Your wish is my command," he returned her grin. "We should probably get moving, then." She nodded in agreement and got off his chest before realizing that they were both still naked.

She hopped off the bed and padded over to the couch where she had set her dress on. She had nothing else to wear, so it would have to do. She slipped the dress back on and did a twirl before turning to Wolfgang. "How do I look?" she asked, sending another grin at him.

"Absolutely beautiful," he replied with a smile. He lifted himself off the bed and scrambled to find his own clothes, which were strewn across the room. He put them on as he found them, pants in one corner, shirt in the other… his jacket was still in the bathroom. But he dressed as quickly as he could and was soon ready to depart.

The married couple stepped out of their room and went to check out before they left the hotel for good. Wolfgang once again used his phone to guide them towards the tower once they were on the streets of Paris again.

They didn't get far from the hotel before Wolfgang noticed something odd. "Are you all right?" he asked her, noticing that she was limping. And she was falling behind, even though he wasn't exactly setting a fervent pace.

"Oh, I'm fine… just sore, is all," she said, trying to chuckle.

"Did I hurt you?" he all but whispered, suddenly extremely worried. He came to a stop to allow her to catch up to him.

"Nothing that wasn't necessary," she assured him. "At least between a little rabbit and a large wolf…"

"I'm sorry," he apologized immediately. "It's okay, though… we won't have to do that again… I won't have to hurt you again…"

"Oh? But why not do it again?" she asked, sly smile rising on her face once again. "I rather enjoyed it… the pleasure and the completeness I felt from sex is… intoxicating to say the least. You _definitely_ weren't hurting me."

His eyes widened as he heard her words. "W-w-what?" he stammered out. "Again? I…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. He wasn't even sure if he had managed to completely overcome the fear. There was that part of him that argued he had managed it out of necessity… he wasn't sure if he'd be able to do it again. "If… if it makes you happy…" he mumbled.

She frowned at him. "Well… you know what I mean. If you don't want to do it again… I guess we don't have to. I was only saying that I enjoyed it," she said, cocking her ear. "And I'd be willing to do it again."

"I... I'm serious... if it makes you happy... I will face my fear... over and over again," he said, noticing her frown as he looked down at her. "Behind the fear... I enjoyed it too."

"I'm glad you did," she smirked. "I guess we were both surprised."

"Indeed," he agreed. He thought for a moment before picking her up so she wouldn't have to limp. She giggled as he pressed her against his chest again, though there was a barrier of clothing between the two of them, as he made his way towards the tower once again.

They walked in relative silence, a wide grin on Judy's face, despite the odd looks the couple received from passersby. But one glare from Wolfgang had them minding their own business once again. Eventually, they came to the base of the Eiffel Tower and he began to climb the stairs.

As they climbed, Judy could no longer stand the silence. "So, uh… how will your mother even know if we, uh… consummated?" she asked. "Couldn't you have just… lied to them?" It wasn't as if she was regretting going through with it… but now she was curious.

"Sister will know instantly," he growled. "I don't know how… but she will."

"Oh," Judy remarked. "You should just send her to a mental institution and be done with her."

"I plan to," he growled. "The moment mother dies, she's going to a mental institution, where she should have been all this time if mother and father weren't so soft on her. She really is damaged, you know… and I don't doubt she'll have some insults prepared, regardless of the fact that I went through with this."

"You're right, that's where she belongs," she sighed as he ran his paw over the top of her head soothingly.

"I may have to put her down for good, however. She's crafty and extremely dangerous, more so than either myself or brother… and she has a knack for escaping. I don't know how long an institution could even hold her before she got free," he sighed.

"I don't think the world would miss her," she replied, sensing some apprehension from him. She was a bit surprised, he hadn't shown any hesitation in killing her before, why would he be apprehensive about it now?

"The problem is… I would. Or, rather, I do, I should say. I miss what she once was… and I suppose that's why mother and father have let her do her own thing… and why neither myself nor brother have taken it upon ourselves to end the heartache," he explained. "She used to be so nice… and kind, but now… well… you know."

"What happened to her?" she asked as he smoothed the fur on her ears. She couldn't help the shiver that passed through her spine as he did this, but he didn't notice.

"I… I was only five when she lost it. Unlike brother and I, she never wanted to be a crime lord. She wanted to be… a psychologist. She was fascinated by the topics, the science, and the mammals… but father didn't want her to be anything but a crime lord. She is the eldest, and she was _supposed_ to be his legacy, until he found out that _I_ was more capable than she could ever be. 'Follow in my footsteps, my dear,' he would always tell her," Wolfgang growled. "For years he forced her to do odd, unspeakable things, trying to wean the ideology out of her. And, one day… she just snapped."

"S-snapped?" Judy asked.

"She slaughtered thirteen animals and mounted their heads on the wall, desecrating their corpses, and painting the walls of her room in blood. Father was proud, at first, but didn't realize what had happened to her. Katherine was gone, replaced by the monster named Kat. She's not right in the head, I'm surprised she hasn't tried to kill you," he sighed. "You know that she sometimes indulges in… cannibalism?"

"Oh... that's horrible," Judy whispered.

"I know," he whispered in response. "You look at her… and you can't decide whether to feel pity or rage… whether she deserves to die or rot in a mental institution. She has done horrible things, but she still wears the face of my sister. And I'm not sure if I can pull the trigger when the time comes."

"Huh… well, I know you'll make the right choice. Whatever it is," she sighed. The moment the words left her mouth, he stopped his climb and squeezed her tightly, wrapping his arms around her, almost protectively. "What is it?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I… just… so much has changed since you came tumbling onto my table. I've learned to love, and now I realize exactly what I've lost in my climb to the top, and what I'm going to lose when I get there," he admitted. "I just… never want to lose you. I've lost father and sister, I'm going to lose mother and what's left of sister, and I have no doubt brother will abandon me too…"

"Well… I don't think you're ever going to lose me," she said, smiling sweetly. "We're bound to each other now." The thought of running from him never crossed her mind. She didn't want to, not anymore.

He continued his climb once again. "I certainly hope so… there are just so many things that could go wrong… I'm just worried for your safety," he admitted. "And I _want_ you to be safe, I _want_ you to be happy, and I _want_ you to be by my side, evermore."

Judy couldn't stop her ears from sagging. It wasn't so long ago when Nick was saying very similar things… and yet, thoughts of the fox quickly vanished from her mind. She was married to Wolfgang, even if she got to see Nick again… she wasn't sure what would happen. "Do you want me to promise to stay safe?" she asked, looking up at the white wolf.

"It would help," he smirked, "But it's really up to me, isn't it? I've brought you into my world… and now I have to protect you from its dangers. Even if you're capable of protecting yourself."

"I... I would appreciate it if you kept me safe," she nodded.

"That was what the vows were for… I _will_ keep you safe," he affirmed. It was at that moment they reached the highest point possible on the Tower. He leaned over the side of the railing, holding her tightly as he allowed her to see as well.

"Wow… look at all of that," she all but whispered. She could barely make out the animals below, they looked like ants from the top of the Tower.

"Yeah," he said, grin stretching across his face. "It truly is breathtaking, isn't it?"

"It's beautiful," she agreed.

A large smirk stretched across Wolfgang's muzzle as he said, "But only half as beautiful as you, my dear Mrs. Fritz."

She couldn't help but grin. "You wouldn't mind another kiss, would you?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Of course not," he smirked. With his arms already wrapped around her to keep her from falling off the railing, he pulled her closer and pressed his lips against her own. Their embrace persisted for several minutes, enjoying the warmth that spread through them once again. Time seemed to slow as they were connected, a second was an hour, a minute was a day.

But they inevitably separated, though the warmth did not leave either of them. Wide smirk still in place, Wolfgang said, "You know… it dawned on me. I won. And… it's the strangest thing. At this very moment… I couldn't care less."

She smiled at him, realizing what it meant for him to say that. "Well, Wolfgang… I guess you did win. You beat Judy Hopps, the best cop on the force," she said.

"I was talking about the throne," he chuckled, "I wasn't aware that I was defeating the great Judy Hopps, scourge of criminals far and wide!" Not a hint of sarcasm was present in his tone, he wasn't kidding.

She shook her head at his declaration. "I mean… you forced me to marry you, and at first you didn't care… and now you suddenly do. And I guess… I care too… even though I didn't want to at first," she shrugged. "So, I guess you won, you beat me."

"Or maybe Janja was right, as much as I hate to admit it," he grinned, "Perhaps we are both winners."

"If we were fated to fall in love… it would be a joke. A cop and a criminal, imagine that!" she chuckled. "I thought you didn't want to admit that Janja was right."

"I don't… but I also don't want to think of this like I had defeated you. But then again," he sighed, "Irony seems to be the way the universe works."

"The universe is strange," she replied, shrugging as she did.

"Then again, opposites _do_ attract, right?" he smirked, setting her back on the railing. He kept one arm around her, for his own sake, rather than hers. She didn't actually need him to keep her steady, and he knew that.

"I guess…" she admitted. "Then again, are we _really_ that different? Isn't that what you were trying to get me to admit over the past three days?"

"Not necessarily," he said. "I only wanted to show you who I was… if you think we aren't that different… than that's a conclusion you have come to all on your own."

"I guess I was just trying to say what I thought you wanted to hear," she snorted.

"I know. You never have to lie to me, my dear," he sighed. She did not respond to him, though her smile did widen as he pulled her closer. They stared out at the horizon, the sun high in the sky. And they stayed like that for hours, never once breaking their silent reverie.

Until the sun began to lower in the sky. Wolfgang blinked a few times as he realized how long they had been leaning over the railing of the Eiffel Tower. "Oh dear… we should probably get going," he said, looking down at her.

She nodded in agreement, giggling once again as he picked her up to carry her down the Tower. "Paris was nice," she sighed as he began their descent. "Being with you was nice too, actually."

"Thank you," he chuckled, "I quite enjoyed our time as well."

XXX

Wolfard padded into the locker room, just as he did every day. While most officers took all their gear home, his girlfriend would _not_ allow a gun in the house. So, he had no choice but to keep the weapon at the precinct, where he would have to retrieve it each day.

He whistled to himself as he strapped his belt around his waist, today was a new day. He liked to arrive a few minutes before rollcall, not just because he had to retrieve his weapon, but because he liked watching the other officers wander in at their own pace. And he knew that he needed to get a move-on if he wanted to get there before anyone else.

He began to push himself off the ground when he felt someone put a gun to the back of his neck, and heard the tell-tale sound of the hammer cocking. "Don't move," came a voice Wolfard immediately recognized as officer Wilde.

"Okay... okay... I'm not moving," Wolfard said slowly. "What the hell is this?" He gulped slowly as sweat began to form on his brow. He had no idea what officer Wilde was doing.

"I got your 'message,'" the fox hissed, "And quite a few things just don't make sense to me. Shenzi is gullible, I know… but I'm not. The only way you'd be able to get a message from Judy is if you were on the inside."

"I have no idea what you're-"

"I'm not finished!" Nick growled, pressing the weapon harder against the back of Wolfard's neck. "I arrived a half-hour ago to do a bit of research to confirm my suspicions. It never quite sat right with me that you were able to solve so many cases so quickly, even when compared to me and Judy, lieutenant. So tell me the truth! Are you a mole for Wolfgang Fritz?"

"Hold on a moment, Wilde… I'm not a mole," Wolfard said slowly. But he swallowed involuntarily once again. _He knows!_ the panicked thought raced through the wolf's mind. There was no way to explain it.

"Really? Shenzi and I went over your cases, Wolfard. And we found something odd," the fox growled. "Each one was completed in under twenty-four hours. And whenever you were assigned a partner, there was a period, just an hour long, where he 'had no clue where you were, or what you were doing.' And immediately after that period passed, you came back and effortlessly solved the case. Sounds a bit strange… almost as if you were receiving information from someone."

The timber wolf was sweating bullets now, clenching his paws into fists as he tried to think of an explanation. "I'm… I am receiving information, all right?! But… I'm not a mole! I… uh… I have a mole in them!" The feeling of the firearm pressed against the back of his head was starting to get to him… he wasn't sure how much longer he could take the pressure.

"Don't lie to me, Wolfard! You know that police cruisers have a tracker in them, right? What if I asked Shenzi to look at all the places you've been in your assigned cruiser? I bet we'd see a lot of visits to a particular mansion on the south side of town. Tell me the truth… are you a mole for Wolfgang?" he snarled, pressing the weapon even harder into Wolfard's fur.

"Would you shoot me if I said yes?" the timber wolf asked, quivering slightly.

"It depends on how cooperative you're willing to be," the fox hissed.

Wolfard swallowed, the jig was up. He had forgotten about the trackers. "Okay, okay, okay, don't shoot me… I'm willing to cooperate. I'm… I'm not really a mole," he said slowly. "I'm Wolfgang's cousin."

"Cousin?" Nick practically shouted. He didn't remove the gun from the back of his head, now more tempted to shoot him than ever. "If you're related to him, then you knew that he had taken Judy this entire time, then! Why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't actually know for sure until a few days ago…" Wolfard said, breathing heavily as the fox became even angrier.

"So? When you did find out, weren't you furious? Didn't you think to tell anyone? Why didn't you tell me that you _knew_ he had Judy?!" the fox roared.

"Er… because he asked me to?" the wolf replied as Nick shoved his head down so that he could only stare at the floor, and his own shaking paws.

"He asked you to?" Nick snarled. "Do you not care about your fellow officers? You didn't think to try and free her! You don't care at all about Judy… do you?"

"What? No! I… I do care about Judy, she's a good officer and a good friend! She's helped me before! But Wolfgang isn't hurting her, all right?" Wolfard said quickly.

"Is that it? Wolfgang isn't hurting her? He's forced her to marry him! What if he's done something to her? He's a crime lord for Christ's sake!" Nick raved, doing his best not to let his arm shake. Though Wolfard could feel the trembles through the gun pressed against the back of his head.

"Listen to me, Wilde, Wolfgang is my cousin! I know him and I know that he won't force her to do anything past marrying him. He'll even probably let you see her real soon! And honest to god, cross my heart, he would _never_ force himself on her," the timber wolf said, licking his lips in anxiety, hoping that Nick's shaking wouldn't make him accidentally pull the trigger.

"He's a crime lord, Wolfard, a _crime lord!_ No matter how well you think you know him, _he's_ the type of mammal we're supposed to catch and jail!" Nick growled, finally removing the gun from Wolfard's head. "Are you… really sure he won't hurt Judy? Because her last name changed, it's Fritz now." He couldn't help but feel a twinge in his heart when he heard Wolfard say that he could see Judy soon. But there was a part of him that still didn't believe him.

"Look, he's got morals. He's not a… _bad_ guy, all right? And I said that he would marry her… but I promise it won't go beyond that, trust me," Wolfard let out a sigh of relief, though he did not turn around to face Nick.

"It just... doesn't make any sense... why Judy? Why not kidnap and marry some fucking wolf?!" Nick growled. He didn't holster his weapon, but it no longer pointed at Wolfard. "Morals? What kind of morals? The kind that justifies kidnapping? Murder? Arms dealing?" he hissed after a moment's thought.

"Uh... the point is, he won't hurt Judy," Wolfard said. In truth, he had long gotten over his favorite cousin's criminal enterprise, he didn't see it as _immoral_ any longer. Wolfgang's siblings were a different story, however.

"No... that's not the point. Why Judy? Why, Wolfard... why?" Nick mumbled.

"I... I can't actually tell you that," Wolfard admitted, "I don't know."

Nick ground his teeth together. "I wanna meet him. I wanna sit down with him, face to face and hear it from him. I want to hear, from him, that he won't hurt Judy... and I want to see her too," he all but whispered. He was making demands, but not waving his gun about... he looked more like a child about to throw a tantrum than a police officer making demands.

"I can try... I'll try, all right?" Wolfard said, sensing the fox's distress.

"I hope you realize that I can't trust you anymore, Wolfard... and I hope you understand that I have to report you to Bogo," Nick growled, finally holstering his pistol.

Wolfard blanched. "Wa-wait! Don't do that!" he said quickly, finally turning around to face the fox.

"And why not? You're a traitor, Wolfard... and Bogo will have your badge for this!" the fox hissed.

"No, Nick, please! I love this job, all right?! All I ever wanted to be was a police officer, despite what my family is made up of… and Wolfgang has never _once_ asked me to do anything damning! Just let me prove to you that I'm still on your side… don't tell Bogo," Wolfard begged, still on his knees.

"I want each of my demands met. I want to meet this Wolfgang, no guns, no guards, just me, you, Wolfgang, and Shenzi. And I want to see Judy as well, separately, and just the two of us," Nick growled. "Do this for me and I won't report you to Bogo… but if just one thing is out of place… your ass is gone!"

"Okay, okay! I'll get that done as soon as possible… tonight if I can," Wolfard said, nodding rapidly in compliance.

"It better be tonight, Wolfard... I don't know how long I can hold off telling Bogo," the fox hissed.

"Okay, okay," Wolfard replied, standing slowly, and backing away. The moment he was at the door, he opened it, and ran through the doorway. But he didn't make it far.

Shenzi was standing close by the locker room just as Wolfard exited. She lit up when she saw him and waved at him before he could run right past her. "Hey Nice Wolf!" she called out.

The timber wolf hesitated in his step, stumbling, nearly tripping. "Hey... Shenzi..." he said, stuttering the words out. He was... glad she wasn't in the locker room with Nick. That way she didn't have to see him break like he did. He liked her... she was so innocent, and he thought she liked him. After all... she called him Nice Wolf... he didn't want to ruin her perception of him. He didn't bolt immediately, which might've been a mistake.

"What did Nice Fox say?" she asked, padding up to him.

He did his best not to grind his teeth together, so he put on a nervous smile instead, "Nick was just wondering how I overheard Wolfgang talking about Judy... and he was just concerned... and I'm... going to see... if I can't..." he trailed off. He needed to paint himself in a good light before Nick got to her.

"I'm going to see if I can't reach out to one of my contacts within Wolfgang's family to set up a meeting between him and Nick... yeah... and, uh, of course, I'm going to see if I can't get you guys to see Judy too," he lied. He didn't _want_ to lie to her, but he didn't want her to hate him.

Shenzi brightened. "Thanks, Nice Wolf! That sounds helpful," she said, giving him a wide smile. She was really excited to see Nice Carrots again.

Wolfard returned the smile, "Yeah... uh, I do my best!" He turned to walk away, hoping that he wouldn't damn himself any more than he already had.

"Goodbye!" she sent him another wave as he trotted away. Wolfard returned the wave halfheartedly, moving a bit faster when the door opened again and Nick stepped out.

Nick let out a loud sigh as he walked up to Shenzi, "Well... I guess I got what I wanted."

"Nice Wolf said he was helping us!" she grinned, watching the timber wolf make his quick getaway, not quite connecting the dots.

"To some extent... yes, he is helping us," Nick hissed. He knew that Shenzi was extremely fragile, and had decided to trust Wolfard... it would be devastating for her to lose that trust. It would be best if she believed him to be a good guy instead of the back-stabbing, lying, cousin of the blasted crime lord who kidnapped _his_ bunny.

XXX

 **That seems like a good place to leave off. A lot to go on here. Judy is really starting to get used to the whole relationship thing with Wolfgang. I guess she really changed her mind, right? Let's hope that doesn't come crashing down on her. And Nick discovers Wolfard is a mole! Or… sort of a mole. And it looks like he's going to be able to get a meeting with Wolfgang… I wonder how** ** _that_** **will go down. All that and more… next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - Confrontation:

Author's Note:

 **So… I think it's time I finally address this. The camps seem to be split, I'm actually quite surprised. There are some of you who really, really don't like the idea of Wolfgang and Judy together (or just hate Wolfgang with every fiber of your being) and there are some of you who like the idea of Wolfgang and Judy together (one of you went so far as to claim you shipped them). Me, personally? I think I'll keep that hidden. But I will remind everyone of two things.**

 **One: This is only the first arc. So a lot is going to happen before the end of the story. So whatever you're thinking now, and whatever signs you think you're seeing now… take them with a grain of salt. Who knows what might happen! Oh… I do…**

 **Two: I will remind you of the title of this story. Immoral. Anything can and might happen. Morality be damned. If Judy happens to fall in love with the ruthless murderer (which he freely admits to being) that is Wolfgang, it could happen. I'm not saying it** ** _will_** **happen… it** ** _might_** **. But we still have a long way to go until the end.**

 **And in any case… this is a very fun, very important chapter. Much longer than the last two, as well. Lots of X's, by the way… so be prepared for that. In any case, I want to thank everyone who has sent their opinion on Judy and Wolfgang (I** ** _highly_** **enjoy reading what you guys think, or what you want to happen… or what you'll do to me if things don't go the way they should), and I hope to continue to receive these responses as your opinions of Wolfgang evolve throughout the story. Or he could die at the end of the arc… who knows! Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Wolfgang let out a loud sigh as he padded back into the mansion, Judy fast asleep in his arms. He looked down at her, letting out a deep chuckle as he did. Despite the fact the sun was just starting to set beneath the horizon, she had fallen asleep on the plane. He chalked it up to jet lag.

He entered his home and walked into the dining room, still carrying the sleeping rabbit. He paused as he laid eyes upon his cousin leaning against the massive table, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Cousin!" Wolfard exclaimed upon seeing the white wolf enter the room. "And uh... you have Judy," he added, glancing down at the rabbit in his cousin's arms.

"Indeed, we just returned from our honeymoon in Paris," Wolfgang explained. Judy did not stir in his arms. "She's just a bit exhausted."

"Your... oh, right your honeymoon," the timber wolf said, flicking one of his ears. "Sorry, it's just a little... strange, is all."

"How so?" Wolfgang asked, "I had been informed that it was normal for a married couple to go on a honeymoon."

"No... that you married Judy Hopps... sorry, I'm just used to seeing her around the station... full of energy... now you have her. Tell me, how is she? I take it she hates you?"

"Not as much as you'd imagine... I myself am quite surprised as well... but she truly enjoyed our time in Paris."

Wolfard blinked. "She... enjoyed it?" he asked, confusion spreading across his features. He hadn't expected the white wolf to say that. "What do you mean?"

"We had... a wonderful time. We went to the Eiffel Tower and looked out over a bridge... it was... quite romantic," Wolfgang admitted.

The timber wolf arched an eyebrow at that response. "I never thought you to be a romantic type... or even Judy for that matter," he muttered.

Wolfgang let out a heavy sigh. "My dear cousin… I trust you. And from that trust I will admit to you that I may have… fallen for Judy. Truly and completely. I was adamantly against the notion at first… but the wedding and the honeymoon changed that," he admitted. "And I believe that she is working it over in her mind too."

"You... fell in love... with a bunny," Wolfard said slowly, the words sounding wrong upon his tongue. "You actually just admitted... that you love a bunny?!" The entire idea was inconceivable to him, that _Wolfgang_ could _fall_ for anyone… least of all a _bunny_ like Judy Hopps.

"I did," Wolfgang growled, eyes narrowing. "And I say that in good faith, cousin."

Wolfard's ear flicked from the poorly veiled threat. "And… that bit about Judy?" he asked, doing his absolute best to keep from cringing.

"What bit? That she is turning it over in her mind?"

"… Yes?"

"I will not pretend to speak for her, nor will I pretend to know exactly what is going on in her mind… but it is my belief that she is considering it," the white wolf answered firmly. It was a fact he was desperate to be true.

Wolfard stared at him for several seconds, stunned into silence. "Judy... is... that's quite... well, I'd have to hear it from her to believe it," he managed to spit out. He didn't believe it… it was infeasible.

"Of course… I would love to hear that as well. Unfortunately, I do not wish you, nor anyone else pressuring her to make a decision," the white wolf growled. "This is something I am more than happy to let bounce around in her head without anyone's intervention. Including my own."

"Right… right, of course," Wolfard nodded. _He's not confident in her answer…_ the timber wolf realized. "But, uh… I didn't come here to doubt you or your relationship with Judy… I came here to tell you about something else."

Wolfgang looked concerned for a moment, but he sighed and asked, "What is it?

"Now... don't be angry... but the Fox, Nick Wilde... he found me out," Wolfard said carefully.

"What do you mean 'found you out?' Are you in danger?" Wolfgang asked, mind already whirling. He looked down at Judy... would he have to kill the fox?

"He hasn't told anyone else. But in exchange for secrecy, he wants to meet with you. To discuss Judy Hopps."

Wolfgang raised an eyebrow. "Fritz. She has taken my last name. She is no longer Judy Hopps," he growled. "Why should I meet with the fox? I'll just pull you out of the force and send you somewhere else. It'll be difficult, but I'll have to put someone else in your place… too bad there's no one I trust more than you. Or, I could just have the fox killed. Though you know I don't want it to come to that."

"Wolfgang, listen to me. I think it's wise that you meet with the fox. I knew of Judy and Nick's relationship, it would be better for you to meet with him," Wolfard said. "And he demanded you bring Judy too."

"Demanded?" Wolfgang chuckled. "That's pathetic. And you believe it to be wise? What else did he demand... time alone with Judy?"

"Er... yeah, he did."

Wolfgang eyebrow arched even higher, but let out a sigh. "How did you get caught?" he asked, glossing over whether or not he would agree to such a meeting. He would decide based upon his cousin's answer.

"Judy gave me a message... which I gave to Nick's collared slave... which she gave to him... and he inferred the rest for himself," the timber wolf explained, looking down at his feet.

"He has a collared slave?" Wolfgang said, immediately caring more about that than Judy giving Wolfard a message. His eyes narrowed, "Will he be bringing said slave?" he hissed.

"He said he would," Wolfard nodded.

Wolfgang ground his teeth together before growling, "Very well... I will meet him... if he is willing to give up his slave."

"He's outside. Shall I go get him?"

" _You brought him here!_ " Wolfgang roared. "Before I had even agreed to anything?!"

Wolfard gulped and took a step back. He had never seen his cousin get this angry this quickly. "He already knew where you lived, and he was threatening to ruin my job!"

A deadly smirk spread across Wolfgang's face. "And? You didn't think to threaten him back? How many times have you seen me with a gun to my head, Wolfard... three, four times? And how often do I flinch? _Never_!" he all but roared, causing Judy to stir in her sleep, though she did not wake completely.

"How about the fact I can bring the entire city crashing to the ground if my favorite cousin was harmed? How about the fact that I could very well ruin Nick's life in exchange for him ruining yours? Did you not think to think or did you just panic and make a huge mistake?" he hissed.

"Listen Wolfgang... this isn't a mistake. I didn't panic. I thought this over, believe me. You won't lose anything by talking to him!" Wolfard said quickly.

"Then go outside... wait with him for ten minutes while I wake Judy," Wolfgang hissed. "And make sure he is unarmed."

"Are you sure Judy should even be awake?" Wolfard asked, turning towards the door.

"I will not let her miss this opportunity to end her relationship with Nick Wilde. She had been wishing to see him for some time, I suppose now is better than later," the white wolf explained. _While she's still coming off of the honeymoon high,_ he noted internally.

He waited until his cousin had exited the mansion before he looked down at Judy, small smile on his muzzle. "Judy," he said softly, shaking her shoulder as he did.

She stirred, opening her eyes slowly before stretching out her legs. "I'm… I'm awake!" she yawned loudly. She shifted in his arms to look up at him.

"Good morning," he chuckled. "We're home."

She blinked a few times before looking around and realizing that they were standing in his dining room. "Indeed we are," she agreed before looking back at him. "Why'd you wake me?"

"I have... some news..." he said slowly, hesitant to tell her, even now.

"Like what?" she asked, before yawning again.

"Officer Nick Wilde has threatened cousin Wolfard into bringing him here, so he could set up a meeting between him and myself... he wants to see you," he said stiffly, getting right to the point.

She sat up immediately in his arms. "N-Nick?!" she exclaimed, eyes widening as the exhaustion and sleep melted from her form. "Where is he? Is he here?! Is he coming?!"

"He is here… I have instructed him to wait ten minutes so that you may prepare for his arrival," he explained. "I am going to pass you off to Miss Hyena so that you may slip into something more comfortable… and possibly less upsetting to him. I will also be allowing the two of you a few minutes to speak… alone."

Her eyes widened as she heard those words. She was going to talk to Nick! Alone! "Right," she nodded as he set her down gently. She immediately shot off towards the dressing room, hoping Miss Hyena was already there waiting for her.

Wolfgang watched her go, letting out a deep sigh as he did. This was unlikely to go well… but it was his chance to convince him that he no longer needed to take actions to "save" her. And allowing Judy time alone with him should also convince her that she no longer wanted him. "I'm still in control," the wolf muttered to himself as he waited for his cousin to return with Nick and his apparent slave.

XXX

Shenzi bounced on her paws, rocking back and forth happily as they waited outside the mansion. Nick stood next to her with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. It was hard not to be infected by her high spirits... he wondered if she knew what was going on. He doubted it... for all her intelligence... she was extremely naive.

"Finally," he muttered as he spotted Wolfard walking out of the mansion.

The wolf made his way over to them. "He'll meet with you… but boy, he's furious," he said, crossing his arms.

"No shit, he clearly doesn't want me to be here, he must be pissed at you too," Nick smirked. "Well... are we going?" Wolfard was just standing there, not making any motions towards the house.

"He asked me to wait ten minutes… he's getting ready," Wolfard explained.

Nick raised an eyebrow, "Getting ready how?"

The wolf shook his head. "Getting Judy ready, actually… she was asleep," he explained.

"Asleep? Why was she asleep?" the fox asked. There was no way Judy would be tired at this time of their day!

Wolfard cleared his throat nervously. "They'd just come back from Paris-"

Nick's eyebrows skyrocketed as his eyes widened. "Paris? Why were they in Paris?!" he shouted, cutting off the timber wolf.

"It was their honeymoon, all right?! They're married… it's customary…"

Nick all but collapsed to the ground, head grasped in his paws. "Oh God… they… he forced himself on her… I just know it!" he said, voice cracking. He couldn't help the panicked tears that leaked from his eyes. He knew what honeymoons were for… "We're too late to save her…"

Wolfard's frown deepened. _There's no chance in hell he did that to her…_ he thought to himself. "Oh… er… I'm sure he didn't do that to her!" he said, doing his best to comfort the distraught fox.

"How can you be sure?" Nick hissed, not looking up, nor standing from the ground.

"Look, he's my cousin, all right? And I'll tell you, he _definitely_ didn't rape her," the timber wolf said. _He couldn't even if he wanted to…_

But the fox wasn't comforted by the wolf's words. He only shook his head and repeated himself, "How can you be sure?" Wolfard didn't answer, deciding that nothing he said could help the fox.

They waited in silence, the only sound was Shenzi's nervous humming as she rocked back and forth. Finally, Wolfard let out a sigh and said, "Come on, let's go… ten minutes are up."

Nick blinked a few times, but let out a growl as he stood. "Finally," he muttered, pulling his weapon from its holster and tossing it into the cruiser. He made to go forward, but Wolfard shook his head, pointing at Shenzi. The fox rolled his eyes and said, "Spots, your gun too."

Shenzi nodded and tossed her firearm into the car, prompting Wolfard to take the lead. Nick and Shenzi followed him into the mansion, he only hesitated slightly to marvel at the beauty of the building, before they were led into a huge dining room.

A massive table stretched nearly end to end of the room, but, despite the dozens and dozens of chairs, only one mammal was sitting at the table. A white-coated wolf with a scowl on his face sat at the head of the table, opposite of the door they had just entered through, his paws folded on top of the wood.

"Welcome, officer Wilde," Wolfgang greeted calmly, despite the contained rage present on his face.

"Okay… here's your meeting, Nick… make the best of it," Wolfard whispered quietly as Nick padded over to the table, dragging out the chair on the opposite end Wolfgang sat at, and plopped down.

"Mean Wolf," Shenzi muttered as she made to stand behind the sitting fox. Wolfard padded over to the other side of the table to stand behind the white wolf.

"Hey scumbag," Nick growled loudly so that his voice could be heard at the other end. While Wolfgang's deep voice carried quite well in the large room, the fox had to raise his voice to be heard.

Wolfgang eyed the collared hyena carefully before turning back to the fox. "That's surprisingly more friendly than Judy on the first day… you must not be as angry as I thought," he noted.

At the mention of her name, Nick immediately snapped, "Where's Judy!"

Wolfgang completely ignored him, however. "Hyena!" he called out, catching Shenzi's attention. "What is your name?"

Shenzi jumped at the sound of her name being called, taking several involuntary steps backwards. "Uh… uh… Shenzi…" she said, breathing heavily. Her voice was almost too soft for Wolfgang to hear.

"Shenzi..." the white wolf said slowly, as if testing the name out on his tongue. "Please... come sit over here," he said softly, motioning towards the seat next to him, far away from Nick.

"Y-you're a Mean W-Wolf," she stuttered in response, scooting up behind Nick. The fox only crossed his arms and smirked in agreement.

Wolfgang only raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps from your perspective. Officer Wilde… did cousin Wolfard not explain my demands?" he asked.

"What demands?" Nick growled, eyes narrowing at the timber wolf behind Wolfgang. The wolf in question slapped a paw to his head… he knew he had forgotten something.

"My, my, cousin Wolfard… you're becoming incompetent. First being caught, then forgetting to pass on a simple message," Wolfgang sighed. "Get out."

"What?" the timber wolf responded, looking down at his seated cousin.

"I said get out. Go home. I will be reevaluating your usefulness," the white wolf growled. The timber wolf tensed, but slowly backed away from his younger cousin. Wolfgang waited until Wolfard was gone before turning back to Nick. "While my cousin can be a bit jumpy when a gun is pointed at his head… I am not. I have agreed to meet you on the condition that you hand your 'slave' over to me."

Shenzi gulped audibly. "Y-you're a M-Mean Wolf! He's a Nice Fox!" she shouted in disagreement. She didn't want to be contracted under the Mean Wolf! He would only hurt her!

"I'm not handing over Shenzi! She's mine!" Nick exclaimed, aghast.

"She is not 'yours.' She does not belong to anyone," Wolfgang immediately hissed, eyes burning bright with rage. "And if you will not comply with my demands… then get out."

"I have her contract… she belongs to me," Nick said, confused as to why Wolfgang actually cared.

Wolfgang looked legitimately upset by that statement. "I am so disappointed in that answer. I am appalled that Judy hold you in such high regard if _that_ is what you truly believe, I would never have thought you would bend to the collar system," he growled seriously, "Considering you have worn one as well."

"What are you implying? I take good care of Shenzi, ask her yourself!" Nick hissed, furious that the wolf would insinuate that he abused Shenzi.

"He's a Nice Fox," Shenzi chirped.

Wolfgang shook his head. "I doubt that," he growled. "It does not change my demand, however. I can give her a better life… I can deactivate her collar… I can give her a paying job, so that when the collar comes off… she can be reintegrated into society."

"You... you can what!?" the fox exclaimed, caught off guard by the wolf's declaration. Shenzi could only duck behind the chair the fox sat on. She wasn't sure what else to do. She didn't want to belong to that wolf!

"I can deactivate her collar," Wolfgang repeated himself. "I can do so much for her. Keeping her is hurting her, officer Wilde… I _want_ help her. And I'm sure Judy wants her to be helped as well. So please… tell her to come sit by me… or get out."

Nick blanched. He didn't have an argument… there was nothing he could do. Except… "Why... why don't we let Shenzi decide? If she really belongs to no one, she should be allowed to pick where she stays, right? She's heard your arguments... and she knows how life is with me."

Wolfgang thought for a moment. "Tell her to come sit by me... I will allow her to make a decision... but only after our meeting is through." He was confident that he could convince the skittish hyena to stay by his side. And he was sure Judy had some attachment to this hyena... saving her would serve to make her happy.

"Shenzi... go sit next to him... but be careful," Nick said, reluctance seeping through his tone. Shenzi nodded shakily and padded over to Wolfgang, whom she stared at with wide, fearful eyes.

"Please, sit. Consider your options carefully... I will force you into nothing... but I do have a surprise for you... but that will come later," the white wolf said. Shenzi nodded shakily again, sitting at the chair he had gestured towards.

Wolfgang turned his attention back to Nick with the intent of finally addressing his concerns, but was unable to even open his mouth, as Judy limped into the dining room slowly. She had been unable to find Miss Hyena, so she was forced to dress herself, deciding on a simple black skirt and shirt, nothing quite as fancy as she was used to wearing.

She paused at the entrance to the dining room, staring at Nick with wide eyes. She fidgeted when she couldn't quite think of what to say. _It's really him…_ the thought reverberated in her mind. "Nick?" she said, almost too quietly to hear.

"As you can see, she is perfectly fine," Wolfgang said. "Please, come sit next to me, Judy… you two will have plenty of time to catch up when I let you speak alone."

Judy nodded and walked over to him, sitting across from Shenzi on Wolfgang's right. She looked back at Nick, swallowing apprehensively, fear and guilt welling in her gaze. Nick stared back, anger rising in his chest. But also a profound sense of shame. _Judy… I let this happen to you…_ he realized. "Judy…" he said, trailing off, unsure of what to say.

"Officer Wilde," Wolfgang said, drawing the fox's attention back to the wolf. "You wanted to meet me... and here I am. Now, prove to me that this wasn't a waste of time."

"Let Judy go…" the fox growled, baring his teeth as he glared at the white wolf. Judy let her ears sag as she looked down at her lap. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this… she knew that Wolfgang would never let her go.

She felt a twinge inside her chest as she realized just earlier today that _she_ didn't want him to let her go. She had even said it… but looking at Nick now? She wasn't sure what she was thinking then. She had been drunk off the natural high sex had brought her. _Do I really regret that now?_ she wondered as Wolfgang addressed Nick.

The wolf took a calm breath and gave the simple response of, "I'm afraid I cannot do that."

"Why not!" Nick shouted, banging his paw against the table, causing both Judy and Shenzi to flinch. His anger was getting the better of him.

But Wolfgang remained calm, as Judy was in the room. As much as he would like to just eliminate this fool… he would not, if at least for Judy's sake. "We've been married… and I require a wife to receive my inheritance. She will be staying by my side," he explained.

"You fucking prick! Why can't you find someone who _wants_ to be your stupid wife!" the fox shouted, fur bristling across his spine and along his tail.

"That was not an option."

"Why the hell not?!"

"I am on a very tight time schedule; my inheritance is to be passed down the moment my mother dies. I do not have the time to seduce a willing participant, lest the throne go to my bastard brother… which would be bad for _everyone,_ " Wolfgang explained. "I made it just in time… and it is far too late to change anything."

"Who cares about that! You're ruining her life!" Nick practically screamed, his eyes aglow with righteous fury. He could not contain the anger that had swelled within him, finally letting it burst free. Judy's eyes and ears shot up, and she looked at Wolfgang, horrified at what his reaction to the fox's outburst might be.

Wolfgang couldn't help the fact that his ears twitched in annoyance. It was becoming _very_ difficult to contain his own anger. "You very much should care. Your city is in immense danger, and the only way to save it is for her to be my wife. If I let her go… you and everyone you care about will perish. As will your precious city," he said as calmly as he could.

The fox barely heard him, however, still blinded by rage. " _You're ruining her life!_ " he shouted, completely lost in his anger. Judy closed her eyes as she tried to both agree and disagree with Nick at the same time. Was her life better here with Wolfgang? Or had he _really_ ruined it? Had what she experienced with him been… real happiness? Or something false?

"So… this was your plan? To try and guilt me into letting her go?" Wolfgang asked, leaning back in his seat as if already victorious. "That's pathetic, officer Wilde… I had expected more from you. Sound rational arguments are your strong suit, aren't they? I had heard what you said to chief Bogo from Wolfard… which was why I was so appalled that you considered that you owned dear Shenzi. And your words had truly inspired me… and yet you turn out to be such a disappointment."

"If you are unwilling to be calm and rational… I will give you your 'slave' back and you can leave without your time alone with Judy," he sighed. "It hurts me more to let a tortured soul leave with such a monster… with a working collar, no less. But it is the price you pay for losing your temper."

The fox stood, standing on this seat of his chair, tail frizzy in rage. "No! You want a fucking argument from me?! The way I see it, you're an idiot! If you would only think! Kidnapping a random rabbit was your only option?! You could've found someone who actually _wanted_ to be with you! You could look out for someone other than yourself! You're ruining her life because you didn't take the time and… think!"

"That's at least an actual argument, officer Wilde," Wolfgang stared at him with a bored expression. "But you are incorrect on one thing. I had never had any interest in finding a real partner, not for selfish, unselfish, or even financial reasons until I needed to marry for my inheritance. I had always been an isolated, lone wolf. You make it seem as if I could just waltz out into the city street, attract someone, and take her instead… but you're wrong."

"It is my belief that I would have been unable to attract a mate, and thus unable to protect this city. So I chose the, admittedly, lazy option. But it was the only option I had," he explained. "I am an undesirable companion… surely you must see that. Perhaps I have ruined her life… but I plan on giving her a better one."

"Undesirable?! Anyone would be undesirable if they forced someone to marry them! _For the sake of the city_ , get fucking real!" the fox roared, digging his claws into the table. "A better life? _Fuck you!_ "

Wolfgang let out a long, defeated, sigh. This was like talking to a brick wall. He was silent for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to deal with this. Eventually he said softly, to Judy, "My dearest Judy... can you take Miss Shenzi to our room and wait there for me to retrieve you for your time alone? I fear I am losing my temper." It was an oddity… he almost never lost his temper, and yet this fox was bringing him right to the edge. "Please, my dearest."

The fox watched Judy stand and walked towards the hallway that led to her bedroom, Shenzi in tow. "Judy… I don't know what he's threatening you with… but hold strong. And Shenzi… come back here," he commanded. Judy felt tears threatening to fall as her ears sagged even further. Shenzi, on the other hand, was looking back and forth at the fox and the wolf, confusion welling within her.

"No, officer Wilde... I wish to speak to you alone," Wolfgang growled. "Consider this earning time with Judy."

"I'm keeping Shenzi," the fox growled as Judy and Shenzi exited, the rabbit glancing behind her as she went. "I don't trust you to treat her as well as she deserves."

"Now, officer Wilde," Wolfgang growled, standing up, and pushing his chair back so harshly that it scraped against the floor. He decided against commenting on the fox's accusations, he was fairly certain he could convince the hyena to stay. "You seem to forget my _occupation_. I have been _patient_ and _lenient_ with your words because I care for Judy. I will not make any attempt to describe her state of mind to you… you may ask her yourself. I am here to answer for my actions, and to assure you that I will continue to treat Judy with the respect and decency she _deserves_."

The fox's tail stood on end as he eyes the rapidly approaching Wolfgang. The wolf stalked towards him slowly and deliberately, his footfalls accenting certain words. "Why would you treat her with decency when you _kidnapped_ her?" the fox growled.

The wolf came to a halt in front of the fox. Despite the fox standing on the chair, he was still much shorter than the white wolf. "I have always tried to treat other with decency, it's why I despise losing my temper. I am not a good mammal, officer Wilde… my occupation prevents that. But I will allow Judy to speak of my actions and my behavior towards her."

"You want to know why I kidnapped a bunny? I told you why. When I said I was undesirable, I meant in tandem with my occupation. My siblings have made odd choices as well. My sister, one of her broken toys… my brother, a harlot he found on the side of the road. Love isn't something that just _presents_ itself to us, officer Wilde. So we have to make do with other options," he growled.

"There are more options that you make out to be!" the fox snarled. "You're only undesirable because you choose to be. You're only in this occupation because you choose to be! Animals have more freedom in their choices than you give them credit for!"

Wolfgang only chuckled. "What were you born as, officer Wilde? I've heard of your successes and your failures, I've read your glowing police record as well as your criminal record. I know what you were before you became a cop. You are one of the lucky few who did not let what they were born as define them," he explained.

"I was _born_ into this business and raised to love it. And do you know what? I _do_ love it, which is why I _refuse_ to give it up because it might help attract a true mate. Remember? I was a lone wolf for the longest of times… I only married because I _had_ to!"

"Then that's still your _choice_ … it doesn't change my point," Nick retorted.

"You have no point," Wolfgang growled. "I do what I do because I like doing it, indeed that is my choice. But the fact that, in order to keep doing what I love doing, I had to take her… that was out of my control."

"Fuck you," Nick snarled. That white bastard didn't understand… he would _never_ understand. Maybe it was pointless to try. "Now, let me speak to Judy!"

"In a moment, officer Wilde. I would still like you to answer me something," Wolfgang growled. "Why? Why would you go through all this trouble to set up this meeting… and waste it trying to free her? You know… you _know_ that you cannot do so."

"I don't give a shit about your bullshit justifications. I don't give a shit _why_ you kidnapped Judy. All I care about is _freeing_ her from you!" the fox snarled. "And I _will_ free her from you."

Wolfgang let out a deep sigh. This was pointless. The fox didn't understand… he would _never_ understand. "I'll let you in on a little secret, officer Wilde. In truth, I allowed this meeting because I wanted to see what you'd do. Judy had been asking if she could meet with you whenever she wished after the wedding, and I was prepared to allow that. But after tonight… I'm not so sure if that's a good idea."

Nick's expression darkened. "What do you mean by that?" he growled.

"I mean that, before tonight, I was allowing you and her to meet at her leisure, to do as the two of you wished, so long as she came back here each night. However, you have proven that you are untrustworthy," the white wolf explained.

"Of course you can't trust me! I'm a cop… you're a criminal," the fox growled, crossing his arms.

"That's not true at all. I am in a very unique situation. I can afford to trust the police, and I typically do," Wolfgang shrugged. "You wish to believe this to be black and white, where I'm the bad guy and you're the good guy… but it's not that simple, is it? And it's a belief like that… that means I cannot trust you with Judy."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you can trust Judy? She's a cop, just like me," he asked.

"I can indeed trust Judy," was the wolf's simple response. "She has held a gun on me twice, without shooting. I've protected her, just as she has protected me. And she has helped conquer my greatest fear… I trust her with more than just my life, but with information that is particularly damming to myself."

The fox scowled. That… that didn't sound at all like Judy. She would've taken every opportunity to get the hell out of here! To escape back to him. This wolf… this white bastard had to be lying! "Oh yeah? What's your greatest fear? Having real feelings?" he sneered.

A wide smirk presented itself on the white wolf's muzzle. "I had a _very_ pronounced case of Coitophobia," he chuckled. "And now it's gone… all thanks to Judy."

Nick's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to understand what the white bastard had said, but his eyes widened when he realized what he meant. "What! Hold on… what?!" the fox cried out as Wolfgang turned to stalk away. "Don't you fucking walk away from me!"

The white wolf paused at the doorway to the hallway that would take him to his room. "Oh? Don't you want to have your time alone with Judy?" he asked, before padding away, leaving Nick steaming with rage in the chair.

XXX

"Hi Nick," Judy's soft voice caused Nick's ears to flick. He had set his head on the massive table as he waited for her to come to him.

"Judy!" he practically shouted, rushing over to her. He halted when he reached her, a concerned expression on his face, "Are you all right? I saw you limping earlier... if he hurt you I swear!"

"Nick… don't worry about the limping. I missed you," she said, looking down at her feet as shame ran rampant throughout her mind. Her ears still sagged behind her head.

"I missed you too, Carrots," the fox sighed. It felt so good to use that nickname again. He had been calling her Judy the past few days due to stress… but with her alone in this room with him… it felt right. "How are you, seriously? Are you hurt?"

"Nick, I'm fine. He hasn't hurt me," she said. She finally looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't contain herself any longer. She leapt at him, latching onto his neck, and hugged him as tightly as she possibly could. "I missed you so much!" she sobbed.

A small smile presented itself on the fox's muzzle as the rabbit grabbed ahold of him. He wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug, fighting back tears of his own. He had missed her touch. "Carrots…" he trailed off. "I want to know. I have the _right_ to know what's going on here. I want to know if he's actually treating you as he says he is."

She didn't look him in the eye as her grip tightened. "He hasn't hurt me… he's been treating me really well," she all but whispered. "I know that it doesn't sound right… but he really wants me to be happy."

"Huh… happy. Are you happy, Judy?" he asked.

"I… I don't know," she admitted. "I thought… I thought that I might've been happy… but then I saw you and now…" She was so confused, had she really just been lost in a sea of passion and fell for his manipulations? Or was she _really_ happy?

"I still don't trust him… but he said he could trust you. Do _you_ trust him?"

"I… I… yes… I do trust him," she relented.

"He said you held a _gun_ on him… twice! Why didn't you shoot him?" Nick asked, starting to panic. She wasn't sure if she was happy here, but she definitely trusted him. That wasn't good… if he hadn't gotten to her sooner… she might've been too far gone. _He has to be manipulating her somehow,_ he growled internally.

"I… it wouldn't've helped anything, Nick," she growled. "I _wanted_ to shoot him! I really did! But I would never have been able to escape."

"Is he manipulating you? He's extremely dangerous, Carrots… I don't understand him at all," Nick growled. It was logical to think that the white bastard was lying to her, preventing her from pulling the trigger. He had psychologically trapped her, making her believe that even if he was dead, she would never be able to run.

"I… I don't know," she admitted.

Nick swallowed audibly. _She's so lost that she doesn't even realize that he's manipulating her, I have to get her out of here as soon as possible,_ he realized. "What about helping cure his Coitophobia? What… what exactly did he mean by that?"

Judy's eyes widened as she finally pulled back, just slightly, as she was still clinging to him tightly. Her violet, tear-filled gaze stared into his emerald green eyes, fear filling her soul. "I don't wanna talk about it. Please… please don't make me tell you," she begged.

"I have the right to know, Judy," Nick growled. "If he's hurt you… or forced you to do something… then I need to know."

"I don't want you to hate me… I don't want you to hate me!" she sobbed, tears flowing freely now as she buried her head into his chest.

"I'll never hate you, Judy," the fox said soothingly. "I love you… I will never hate you. What… what did he make you do?"

"We… we did what… what normal couples do on honeymoons," she admitted softly, still not able to look up at him.

His eyes widened with fear and surprise before they quickly narrowed with rage. "I knew it… he _did_ force himself on you!" he snarled with all the hatred he could muster.

"No! No, Nick he didn't… he didn't force himself on me. He couldn't…" she sobbed, unsure of why she was defending her captor. "It was entirely me…" Her grip tightened in fear that he might drop her.

"What?" he said, anger turning into shock. _It doesn't make any… oh…_ _ **that's**_ _what Coitophobia means?_ he realized. But, to his credit, he didn't drop her, merely extended her arms slightly so she could no longer hide from his gaze. He stared into her eyes, trying to see if she was telling the truth.

"I-I… I don't know Nick!" she sobbed, looking away from him. "He gave me the chance to run away! Why didn't I take it?" Reality came crashing down onto her… she was trapped here. Seeing Nick again had reminded her of what had _really_ happened to her.

"I'm so confused… what's going on here?" he asked. "Are… are you happy here?" he repeated his earlier question.

"I… I still don't know," she admitted. "He took _everything_ from me… why didn't I shoot him? Why didn't I run when I had the chance?!" Regret filled her eyes as she gazed pleadingly at the fox to give her some sort of answer.

"Why _didn't_ you shoot him?" Nick echoed. "Be honest… _is_ he manipulating you?" Maybe after all this, she might finally realize what's going on. And if she couldn't shoot that white bastard… _I very much can,_ he growled internally.

Judy blinked the tears from her eyes. Nick was starting to repeat himself, desperate to find an answer. "I don't think so…" she sighed, swallowing softly. Despite it all… he had only ever talked to her, explained things to her… it never felt as if he was manipulating her. "He's never had any need to manipulate me."

"This Wolfgang… even though I don't trust him at all… he seemed serious when he said he cared for you," Nick growled, conceding at least that to the wolf.

"He _is_ serious, Nick. At the _very_ least… he _does_ care about me," she said.

" _Why_? Why does he care about you so much? He's a dangerous criminal… and everyone I spoke to about him thinks he's insane! Unfeeling! And above all else, a bastard!" he growled.

"I… it's complicated, Nick. Why is everything so complicated? You see… Nick… Wolfgang might have… er… f-felt l-l-love…" she stuttered out, slight tinge rising on her cheeks.

The fox's eyes widened. "Love? For you?" he asked as if the concept itself was impossible. "Do you believe him?"

"I do, Nick… I do. He really does love me," she said, fresh tears starting to drip from her violet eyes.

"And... do you... love... him?"

"Not yet," she whispered, "But I'm afraid I will… soon."

"It's okay, Carrots… it's okay," he sighed, pressing her against his chest again. "We won't give you the chance to fall for that manipulative bastard. But I need to know… do you still have the desire to escape? _Do_ you want to fall for him?" He had to be absolutely sure.

"I don't have a choice… I don't have a choice! He'll kill you… destroy the ZPD… and annihilate the city!" she exclaimed.

"Carrots... forget that. Pretend you do have a choice... do you want to fall for him and stay here?" he asked.

"I… right now, if I had the chance… I would want to get out of here," Judy whispered, almost afraid that the white wolf would hear her. "I don't want that to change… but it might."

Nick drew in a deep breath and nodded. "Listen to me, Judy… if that is what you want, then I'm going to do everything in my power to free you from him… before you fall for him. I have a plan, I just needed to be sure you wanted to go through with it."

"Nick… you shouldn't… he'll kill you…" she all but whispered.

"I have to, Carrots… I have to. Stay calm, Judy, and do what he says… just be patient. When his mother dies… I'm going to get everyone together… everyone who cares about you at the ZPD, and we're going to arrest him at his mother's funeral," he explained.

"That's why I needed this meeting," he smirked, pulling her carrot pen out of his pocket. "I have tangible evidence now that he's kidnapped you and that you want to be free. But we won't be able to get him here… this blasted mansion is too well fortified. We're going to have to wait until the funeral, do you think you can wait that long?"

"It won't be much more than a few days, I don't think… I can do that," she replied.

He smiled softly, placing her back down on the ground. "I want you to have something..." he mumbled, reaching into his pants. She looked away, red tinge on her face, but looked back to see him handing over a very tiny gun, one that looked too small even for her. "Here," he said, presenting it to her.

Judy took the tiny weapon from his paws and examined it. "Heh, heh… sly fox," she chuckled weakly, stuffing it into her shirt.

He grinned, "Keep it on you. I know you said what you did was... consensual... but I want you to be able to protect yourself. And, if his mother isn't dead in a few days and you don't think you can take it anymore... use it to free yourself."

He paused before letting out a deep sigh, "Judy... when this is over... I just want you to know that I will forgive you for anything and everything that you might've done here. I understand what it's like feel the need to survive. If you ever want to talk about it, after you're free... I will listen and withhold judgement... but please... stay safe for me, Judy."

"I'll stay safe," she affirmed, small smile rising on her lips. "Thanks for the gun… hopefully I won't need it."

He nodded somberly as they lapsed into silence. They stared at each other for a few minutes, wondering when the white wolf would come back, before Nick realized something. "Did you leave him alone with Shenzi?" he asked.

"Oh… I forgot about her. Nick… you need to take her back with you… she wants to be with you. Not the… er… Mean Wolf," she said, looking guilty again.

"Yeah… I don't trust that damn wolf with her. She's too fragile. You don't think she'd fall for his silver tongue, do you?" he asked softly.

"She's scared of him, but that doesn't mean he can't convince her of anything," she replied, hesitant to admit that Wolfgang would manipulate the broken hyena. Judy hugged Nick again, hoping that it wouldn't be the last time she would have contact with him.

XXX

Wolfgang let out a loud sigh as he watched Judy walk off. He was hesitant to give her that time alone with Officer Wilde, but he knew it was for the best. She was so close... so close to loving him... that preventing her from seeing the fox would make her hate him again. He did not want that. And now he was alone with the shaking hyena, who stared at him with wide, fearful eyes. "Please... take a seat," he motioned towards the bed.

"Y-y-you're not my owner!" she retorted, her voice shaking along with her legs.

"And neither is officer Wilde," he said softly. "If you would prefer to stand, that is your decision... but the option for you to sit is always open."

Shenzi stayed still, her legs still trembling as she stared at the white wolf, who towered above her. "But… but the Nice Fox is my owner… he has my contract," she rationed.

"Do you believe the world should work like that? Where one animal may own another? Despite what they have or haven't done... that's slavery in my book," he explained. "It is unfair to you, as a thinking being to be owned by another."

"But he's nice... I like helping him. They freed me from Mean Lion. I want to stay with Nice Fox," she replied.

"Has he bothered to try and deactivate your collar?" he asked.

"He can't shut off my collar," she responded, swallowing apprehensively.

"But I can," he said. "And I can do so much more than that for you, if you chose to stay with me and Judy."

"But... uh... he's a Nice Fox! You're a Mean Wolf! I want Nice Fox to own me!" she proclaimed, her voice shaking once again.

He let out a deep sigh, there seemed to be no way to get her to stop thinking like that. _She's damaged,_ he realized as he remembered Judy talking about this hyena a few days ago. "What about Judy? Would you prefer to stay here if you got to stay with her?" he asked. _She's scared of me… but she should care about Judy as much as she does officer Wilde._

"Oh… I… I wanna h-help Nice Carrots t-too…" she stuttered, suddenly unsure of herself. While she liked Nice Fox and he owned her… she liked Nice Carrots too. What should she do?

"Nice Carrots?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She had called him _Mean Wolf_ and officer Wilde _Nice Fox_ … so where did _Carrots_ come from?

"Yeah… the bunny rabbit… Nice Carrots," she explained as if it made all the sense in the world.

"Right…" Wolfgang muttered, clearly Shenzi wasn't going to be able to explain. At least he knew she was indeed talking about Judy. "Do you like Judy? As much as officer Wilde, if not more?"

"I like them both a lot... both are Nice..." she replied slowly.

"Then that is the decision you must make… forget about me and my promises. If you chose to stay here, you will be allowed to roam about freely and stay with Judy. Or you can go back with officer Wilde. One or the other, which one do you want to stay with?" he asked, smiling gently.

Shenzi frowned, still a bit skittish around the white wolf. "Does Nice Carrots want me? I haven't helped her in a while…" she asked.

"She has told me a bit about you, how she saved you from your former contractor and how she was trying to give you a better life. I assure you… she _does_ want you, she still wants to take care of you," he said softly.

"S-she does?" Shenzi asked, giving him a hopeful look.

Wolfgang nodded slowly, still smiling softly. "Look… no matter who you choose to stay with, I cannot justify letting you walk out of this room without deactivating your collar first," he said. She watched him with wide as he gently sat her down on the bed before opening one of the drawers on the nightstand, pulling out a screwdriver. "I'm going to shut off that infernal device around your neck"

"Will it hurt?!" she asked, panic seeping into her tone as she scooted backwards, away from him, on the bed.

"Of course not," he said gently, "The process is completely harmless."

"So… it won't shock me?"

"No… after this… the collar will never be able to shock you again," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. She nodded slowly and moved towards him again, sitting on the edge of the bed so he could easily reach her collar.

"Try and stay calm... if you move around too much I might make a mistake and shock myself," he explained. He set to work on her collar, carefully removing the black box on the side. He started fumbling with it, occasionally picking at something with his claws, but eventually, a small metal box toppled out from the collar. He smirked and flicked a tiny switch with the tip of his claw, causing one of the green lights on the collar to go dark. The collar was deactivated.

"Is it... is it good?" she asked, not moving, still afraid of being shocked as he set the casing back in place.

He gave her a wide smile, careful not to show too many of his teeth, "Of course. Your collar is deactivated... welcome back to the free world." He then began to put away the tools, sliding the end table's drawer shut when he was finished.

Shenzi felt her neck. It didn't feel any different... but the Mean Wolf had said it was good. Maybe it really was good? "You can fiddle with that all you want... it won't shock you again," he said, noting her confusion. He let out a long sigh as he leaned against his bed. He had saved yet another.

"Oh... can I go tell Nice Carrots?" she asked, turning to Wolfgang.

"Of course... they should have finished their conversation by now. Let's go back to Carrots," he couldn't help but smirk slightly.

XXX

Judy's ears swiveled as she heard Shenzi and Wolfgang approaching. The hyena and wolf walked into the dining room, Shenzi's legs no longer trembling. She was no longer afraid of the Mean Wolf. "Nice Carrots? Nice Fox?" she asked, coming to a stop in front of them.

"Shenzi!" Nick exclaimed, turning to look at her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm... all right Nice Fox," the hyena said, smiling a little. Judy hugged close to Nick's leg, the realization that he would be leaving soon dawning on her.

"I have deactivated her collar," Wolfgang explained. "Whether she chooses to stay with me or go with you... at least she has that."

"I… I wanna help Nice Carrots," Shenzi proclaimed.

Judy blinked. "You want to stay… here? With the Mean Wolf?" she asked, confused by the hyena's decision. Had Wolfgang tricked her somehow?

"No, I wanna stay with Nice Carrots," Shenzi repeated, crossing her arms.

Nick's eyes bugged out of his head. She was staying here? "S-Spots? Are… are you sure you don't want to stay with me?" he asked, hoping that she would change her mind. Wolfgang said nothing, only watching their exchange.

Shenzi blanched. "I'm sorry Nice Fox! I just want to help Nice Carrots…" she explained, hoping he wasn't mad at her.

Nick's fur bristled with fury as he glared at Wolfgang's amused expression. "That's... fine Spots... stay with Carrots... help her through this."

"Uh... uh... all right," Shenzi nodded, scooting up beside Judy.

"Well officer Wilde?" Wolfgang asked, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss? Or have you lost enough today?" He couldn't help himself. He had won, beaten that damn fox and taken something else dear from him. It was refreshing, to say the least. And hopefully, Judy would no longer pine for the fox, and her affections would shift towards the white wolf instead.

Nick stopped himself from growling. He was going to arrest that stupid fucking wolf... and very soon. _Very soon_. "No… nothing else," he all but whispered.

"Then you should leave," the wolf smirked, gesturing towards the door. "If you wish to speak again, you know how to reach me."

The fox let out an enraged snarl, _Damn that arrogant bastard!_ He didn't make any other remarks, however, instead he turned tail and marched out the door. But not before casting one last sorrowful look at Judy, before the door shut behind him.

Silence hung over the dining room like a thousand-pound weight as Judy stared longingly at the door, wiping tears from her eyes. But that silence was shattered when Wolfgang let out a simple sigh, "I will not be allowing him to meet with you again."

Judy halted rubbing her eyes and spun around to face Wolfgang, shock written across her face. "What?!" she exclaimed.

"I gave him the opportunity to present himself as someone I could trust to let see you… he squandered that opportunity and was stubborn enough to continue to lash out at me, despite several calm, lenient warnings," he explained. "The simple fact is that he is dangerous… and clearly wishes to take you from me. I will not allow that."

"Y-you can't decide who I can and can't see! I'm your wife, I should have a say in this!" she shouted, quickly wiping a tear from her cheek. Shenzi started to tremble again, and backed away.

"I gave you the meeting you desired with him… I even allowed you time alone with him. I am being more than fair… I cannot risk him taking you… not when we're so close," he sighed.

"Wolfgang! You can't do that! You can't just tell me I can't see him! I'm your wife, listen to me!" she begged, her violet eyes wide with fear. Fear that she would never see Nick again.

"No… this is something that you cannot convince me otherwise of. It is not your fault, my dearest. It is his. He could've easily proved himself and won my favor… but he decided to test me," he growled. "I do not enjoy _being tested!_ "

"Wha-what would you have even have him to do win your favor! He's a cop, you're a criminal, and more importantly you kidnapped me, his best friend!" she shouted, aghast.

"Best friend or something more?" he hissed, finally starting to break. He looked down at her, glare starting to surface on his face. "You are a cop and you won my favor. I am not some common criminal… I can _afford_ to trust the police. All he had to do was stay calm and ask reasonable questions… he completely overreacted and lost his composure… proving my point."

Judy paused as he suggested that he might mean something more to her. _Does… does he know?_ she wondered. If he knew… she was sure it infuriated him on more than one level. "He's nothing more than my best friend! And if you really do love me, you'll let me see him! And, as for how he reacted… righteous anger is the natural reaction! You wronged him… what did you think he was going to say?" she protested, putting her paws on her hips.

"I gave him plenty of time to calm his mind. I had heard _many_ good things about him… if the simple fact of losing you makes him lose his mind… I can only imagine what will happen if he has you dangled over his head. He will be tempted, and I cannot allow a rash individual to be given the opportunity to act as such," he growled. "I understand his reaction, I truly do… but you must understand that he had ample opportunity to reign himself in.

"Fuck you!" Judy shouted, scowl heavy on her lips, her eyes still wet from tears. "I let you… no, I _made_ you mate with me! Without me, you'd still be drowning in your fear! Without me, you wouldn't have the fucking throne! And this is how you repay me? By not letting me see my best friend… after only one visit, during which he acted perfectly naturally for any normal mammal?!"

His eyes widened and he felt a tremor pass through his body, his fur stood on end, and his amber eyes blazed. "Why can't you see reason? Why are you suddenly blind to logic? Can you not see that you are proving my point? A single visit has... ruined something... I... cannot allow you to see him again, lest I lose you even more," he hissed.

"Oh yeah? What the fuck did it ruin?! What the hell did his visit change that you won't let me see him again?!" she challenged, her sharp tone causing Shenzi to flinch and back away even further from the fighting couple.

He looked downcast, frown rising on his face. Any anger he had held before was gone. "I am afraid he will take you from me. I fear he has interfered with the seeds of love I know that you have been growing in your mind to prosper. He has given you hope for escape when there is none… I don't want to lose you," he said, his voice just barely above a whisper.

"He's given me more hope than you think," she snarled. "And seeds of love?! You… you think I'll _ever, ever_ love you?!"

His eyes widened in fear and shock before quickly narrowing. "I had hoped, but it seems as if my hope had been misplaced. A mistake I will not make again," he hissed dangerously, fangs bared for her to see. "This conversation is over. Take Miss Shenzi to our room and stay with her for the night."

Judy sent one last glare at the white wolf before marching away, Shenzi following closely behind her, her steps quaking. Wolfgang glared at the doorway the rabbit had disappeared through, funneling deep breaths into his nose and out his mouth in harsh pants as he worked through his rage.

He stood there for quite some time, fighting to reign himself in. "Dammit… _dammit!_ " he roared, his voice echoing throughout the large dining room. One fucking visit from the fox… one _fucking visit_ , and suddenly Judy hated him again.

He remembered how she had behaved in Paris… he remembered how she had kissed him. "Shit," he let the curse slip through his lips. He had been _so_ close… _so close_ to drawing her love. _Now what?_ the thought reverberated throughout his mind as he calmed himself, his breathing returning to normal.

He couldn't just drag himself back to her, tail between his legs and apologize. Not when he knew the truth. But one thing was for sure… she was _never_ seeing that fox again. There… there had to be other ways to draw out her love… he _would_ have it. He _needed_ it. He would love her and she would love him back, that was how this worked! That's how she _knew_ this worked!

A thousand different possibilities presented itself to him. He knew that she would not forgive him tomorrow… it was pointless to try. But he would reconcile with her somehow, even if he had to force her to do it on his terms. But for now…

Staying here was a bad idea. "I need to give her space," he mumbled to himself. Taking deep breaths, he nodded to himself, making up his mind. Although he doubted the red-eyed hyena would help, Janja would provide a place to stay for tonight as well as an appropriate distraction for tomorrow.

Despite the bullet holes still throbbing in his back, he padded into the hallway, passed his room, and into the living room. A huge fireplace sat below a gorgeous mantel, a TV popping out of the brick above the wooden mantel. At the very center of the mantel sat a simple rapier, the sword he used to fence.

He snatched the sword in its scabbard and drew it, relishing the sound the steel made against the leather sheath. Taking a deep breath, he sheathed the sword in a single fluid motion and turned towards the hallway once again, intent on leaving the mansion. It had been a few weeks since he and Janja had last sparred, and he had some _rage_ to work out.

He walked down the hallway once again, his footfalls making as little noise as possible against the wood as to not alert Judy's sensitive hearing. He made it past his room once more, but was blocked from entering the dining room by Miss Hyena.

The hyena blinked a few times, holding a laundry basket. "Hey Wolfgang… where are you going?" she asked. Her eyebrow arched as she spotted the sword in his paws.

He only stared at her for a few seconds before growling, "Hold this." He passed her his sword, which she only looked at, confusion running rampant across her features. Her paws were full with the laundry basket. He rolled his eyes when she didn't set down the basket and instead commanded, "Open," before shoving the weapon into her mouth.

She did as he asked, opening her maw just in time for him to set the length of the sword in her mouth. She closed her teeth around the scabbard gently, as if she was a dog carrying a stick. Her eyebrow rose even higher as he started digging through the laundry, not even asking if it was clean.

He pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt before setting them on top of the mess of clothing. Then he began to strip, much to Miss Hyena's surprise. He tossed his suit jacket aside and unbuttoned his shirt before ripping his pants from his body. Miss Hyena only gawked at him, subtle blush rising on her cheeks as he redressed himself in the simpler jeans and T-shirt.

He snatched the sword out of her mouth and mumbled his thanks. "Wash the suit… store it somewhere… burn it, I don't care," he growled before walking away. She only watched him go, shutting the door behind him, disappearing into the night, leaving behind the bewildered hyena.

XXX

"Oh… that wasn't good," Shenzi whimpered. Several minutes had passed since Judy had slammed the door behind them. Both the Mean Wolf and the Nice Carrots looked very angry… she was getting nervous.

"No, it wasn't," Judy scowled, crossing her arms. She plopped down on the bed with a sigh. There was no chance he was coming for her tonight. She had heard his footfalls passed the door twice, but he didn't hesitate at the door.

They sat in silence, contemplating their next course of action. Shenzi glanced around the room, sitting on the bed, and trying to make herself comfortable. The first time she had been in this room, she had been too scared to take in all the features. It was a nice, big room, with a warm glow from several lamps.

Judy's ears swiveled as the door opened again, scowl deepening. _So he did come back,_ she grumbled internally. But she lit up a bit as she realized it wasn't the white wolf that entered the room, it was Miss Hyena instead. She carried a basket of laundry and paused at the door the moment her eyes landed upon Shenzi.

"Who are you?" Miss Hyena asked, raising an eyebrow. She shut the door with her foot, but didn't move any further into the room.

The scowl on Judy's face vanished as confusion spread across Miss Hyena's face, a smirk quickly taking its place. "Guess," she giggled. They looked quite similar to one another, though Shenzi's fur was a bit darker and her spots harder to see. And Miss Hyena was much taller.

"Uh… I'm… uh… Shenzi," the smaller hyena said softly, confused by the appearance of another hyena.

Miss Hyena's eyes went wide as she realized who stood before her. "You're… you're Shenzi? My… my sister?" she asked, mouth agape in shock. The laundry basket made a dull thud against the floor as she let go of it.

"Sister?" Shenzi asked, eyebrow raised. She couldn't quite… remember. Judy watched, amused expression on her face as Shenzi struggled to understand that family stood before her. Family she had thought she lost.

"S-Shenzi… it's… it's me! Julia! Don't you remember me? I was eleven the last time I saw you!" Miss Hyena said, breaths coming in pants as she stared at the smaller hyena in disbelief.

"S-sister?" Said Shenzi, staring at Julia. "You… I mean... uh..." Shenzi gulped nervously, looking over at Judy for help.

Judy only gave her a reassuring look, gesturing towards Julia. She was... a bit surprised. She wondered why it had taken so long for Miss Hyena to tell her name... Julia was a nice name, so much less formal than Miss Hyena. "She's your sister, Shenzi... family," Judy said, grin rising on her face.

Shenzi gulped again, looking back and forth from Judy to Julia. "Uh... I... I don't know what to do!" she exclaimed, looking at Julia anxiously.

Tears dripping from her eyes, Julia stepped forward and embraced her sister. "Live… all you have to do is live," she hugged her tight. "I've missed you so much!"

Shenzi felt her sister hug her tightly, but she still looked confused. "Uh... you're... Julia? Uh... are you... mommy's other… uh... daughter?" she asked, straining to understand. Something as unexpected as this was always hard for her to understand.

"Yes, yes," Julia said, "I'm your sister... do you remember me? Before you… were taken and collared? How you helped mother run the clan… how you always protected… me from bullies… how we loved you so much!" She recounted, pausing to sob every so often. Finally... she had been reunited with her sister.

"But… that's not me," Shenzi said. Julia down at Shenzi, stepping away from her in shock. "I'm not useful… I'm… uh… uh… useless. I'm worthless…"

"No... no... no, you're not!" Julia asserted. "You were the only reason we lasted as long as we did! We loved you... you're so smart... you could solve any problem if you put your mind to it."

Shenzi frowned deeply. "Nice Fox said I was smart… but everyone tells me… I'm useless. The only thing Mean Lion ever said I was good at was begging… and taking my skirt off for him…" she whimpered, looking down at her feet.

Julia bristled and growled, "That's enough Shenzi Marie... you are not useless. That damn lion that was your contractor is a piece of _shit_... _his_ opinion is _worthless_! Nice Fox is right... the animals around you love you and cherish your existence. Judy doesn't think you're useless! I don't think you're useless! Wolfgang doesn't think you're worthless!"

Judy's ears flattened behind her head at the mention of Wolfgang. "He didn't say I was completely useless," Shenzi replied, ear flicking at the sound of her middle name. Her breaths came heavily at her sister's enraged reaction.

"Once… when I was unused to… how I should act… when I was still thirteen… my first year with… this…" she swallowed, gesturing towards her collar. "I accidentally let a plate drop and it broke… but I didn't know how to act… I didn't clean it up like I should have… and the Mean Lion was… angry. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to his office and… tore some of my clothes off. I was just a little hyena… he was a big lion. And then he hit me… and dug his claws into my legs… it hurt… it hurt a lot and he hurt me… and it hurt… and I screamed! But he said screaming was bad… so he put a muzzle around my mouth. I didn't like the muzzle… I couldn't scream or open my mouth… and he kept hurting me. He kept the muzzle on for a while… I wasn't allowed to take it off, even to eat. I went hungry for a long time… but he did say I was good at struggling."

Judy could only stare at her with wide eyes, but Julia shook with righteous fury. She wished... she wished that _fucking_ lion was still alive so that Wolfgang could get to him. He would send that _bastard_ to his sister to be broken... and learn the true meaning of pain and fear. But... now all she could do was comfort her sister.

She embraced Shenzi again, "It's in the past sister... it's in the past. You have us... you have me. We love you and that fucking lion's opinion of you still doesn't matter. I just want you know that I'll always be here for you... I'll always be here for you, big sis!"

"I-I'm the bigger sister?" Shenzi asked.

"Yeah... by two years," Julia smiled, though it was painful to hear Shenzi didn't quite remember.

"I... I... does that mean I'm better?" Shenzi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Julia raised an eyebrow and licked her lips. "Well… you always did think that you were better than me. Though it was due to your intelligence, not your age, that made you think such," she chuckled.

"I... I like being better," Shenzi said, childishly, hugging her sister again. "How... how do we know I'm still better?"

"You're probably still smarter than me... and you found me, I didn't find you..." Julia sighed. It hurt what remained of her ego to allow what was left of her sister to still believe she was better... but it was for Shenzi's sake.

"Uh… how do we know I'm still better?" the elder hyena asked. "Ten years ago was… uh… ten years ago."

"Let's not worry about it tonight... tomorrow we can spend all day together... proving yourself," Julia smiled. "Would you like me to stay with you tonight?"

Shenzi smiled widely. "Can she, Nice Carrots?" she asked, turning to Judy.

"Of course she can. She can sleep here with us… and then you can spend all day catching up tomorrow!" the rabbit grinned.

Shenzi bounced up and down on her feet, bursting with joy. "I can sleep next to my sister!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah… you can sleep between us," Judy said, hopping back onto the bed, followed closely by Shenzi and Julia. The three of them made themselves comfortable on the bed, Shenzi in the middle. Wolfgang did not come back.

XXX

 **Well… this was certainly an eventful chapter! Lots happened… and, despite the upsetting tone, it ended on a high note… I think. So… Wolfgang and Judy had a falling out, Nick lost Shenzi… but Shenzi found her sister! And Miss Hyenas real name is Julia Hyena, so that's good to know, eh? In any case… Wolfgang stormed out, he's clearly upset, and I pity Janja for having to deal with an enraged Wolfgang. In any case… next chapter is pretty dark… so be prepared for that! So stay tuned until next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Scream for Me:

Author's Note:

 **I would like to start by apologizing for not posting last week. I was busier than I thought I would be over Spring Break, and then I fell ill, so I didn't end up working on this chapter until this week. In any case, there are two important things to note about this chapter. One: last chapter saw a fight between Wolfy and Judy, I wonder if that'll be resolved this chapter? Or rather, who'll apologize first? Second: This is the first chapter I get to use the warning you all asked for.** ** _Warning, this chapter contains an M rated scene, viewer discretion is advised._** **Ah, that looks pretty good. With both of those out of the way, let's begin. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

It was so… quiet. And peaceful. Chief Bogo reveled in what little peace and quiet he was able to attain. With Hopps kidnapped, Wilde panicking over her… situation, and a dozen other problems throughout the city, he just needed a moment to enjoy his coffee in peace. And so, he sat in his office, quietly sipping his morning coffee as he looked over the cases he would assign today, wondering who he would give them to.

But that tranquility was shattered as his office door opened and a red fox dashed into the room, slamming the door behind him. "Chief Bogo!" the fox shouted as he skidded to a stop in front of the cape buffalo's desk.

Bogo nearly dropped his precious coffee in surprise. "Wilde! What the hell warrants you bursting in here?!" he shouted, slamming his mug on his desk as hard as he could without breaking the mug.

Nick didn't answer immediately. He had bent over, panting heavily as he fought to catch his breath. He was absolutely exhausted. After losing Shenzi, he had been unable to sleep, so he had spent the hours until his shift trying to come up with what he was going to tell the chief about his meeting with Wolfgang. Eventually, he settled on the truth.

"I have some pressing news regarding Judy's current situation," he said, standing up straight once again.

"Oh?" the chief said, raising an eyebrow. He took his glasses off the bridge of his nose and set them aside on his desk. He then took a deep breath before looking back at the fox. "Proceed."

"I met with Wolfgang Fritz last night," Nick admitted.

Bogo blinked at him, taken by surprise once again. "Why was I not informed of this meeting?" he asked, eyes narrowing into a glare.

"It wasn't a part of the agreement," the fox shrugged, hoping to at least not have to oust Wolfard. After all, the timber wolf _did_ get him the meeting he wanted.

The cape buffalo only rolled his eyes. "And _how_ exactly did you get a meeting with the notorious crime lord?" he asked.

"I knocked on his door and demanded to speak to him," Nick smirked.

Bogo let out an exasperated sigh. _He's lying again,_ he realized, but deciding against pressing any further. The fox was the precinct's best and only chance at getting Hopps back, scrutinizing his actions would not get results. "And he actually agreed to meet with you?" the buffalo asked, still a bit skeptical.

"Under one condition," Nick admitted, "I had to give up Shenzi."

The chief let out another sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Now he has another hostage, great," he growled. "I won't chastise you about your lack of back-up, as I doubt he would've met with you if you had any, or the fact that you didn't take the opportunity to kill that son of a bitch, as I bet you were searched, just as long as you got what you were looking for."

"I did. Listen to this," the fox growled, pulling out the carrot pen, and setting it on his desk, pressing the rewind button.

Bogo picked up the carrot pen gently in his hoof before pressing the play button, "We've been married… and I require a wife to receive my inheritance. She will be staying by my side." Wolfgang's deep voice sounded through the recording device. Bogo's eyes widened and a grin started to spread across his face.

"There. Proof. That's Wolfgang admitting to marrying Judy and that he will not be letting her go," Nick returned the chief's grin.

"Excellent. Is there anything else to this recording?" the cape buffalo asked, handing the pen back to the fox.

"Uh… not really. I think I might've picked up a few things from Judy, such as her expressing her desire to be rescued," Nick replied. He didn't want Bogo to know that the carrot pen had caught everything. Including the awful things Judy had to do while under Wolfgang's control.

"Well this should be more than enough for a warrant. Suit up, we're getting Hopps back," Bogo stood from his seat.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Nick said slowly. Bogo gave him a strange look, prompting him to continue, "I saw that mansion up close, chief. I saw the defenses… he's not going to open up, even if we had a warrant. And I don't doubt he'd be able to hole up in that house for years if we tried to siege it."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"We have _one_ window of opportunity, but it's small," the fox explained. "His mother dying. From my research, there's a small graveyard not far from the mansion. The funeral will likely be heavily guarded, but Wolfgang will be out in the open."

"And will his mother be dying soon?"

"She apparently has cancer, she'll be dead by the end of the week. I have a contact who's willing to inform me of when she's dead, _then_ we can take Wolfgang down," Nick grinned.

"Very well, I'll have a squad on standby then. No matter what security he'll have at that funeral, it won't be enough to stop us from getting Hopps back," Bogo growled.

"Of course, sir," Nick saluted, suddenly revitalized. He was pumped up! Ready to go! Saving Judy was within his grasp. "I… I would like to request a few days off, sir. After losing both Judy and Shenzi, I no longer have a partner… and I'm not going to be particularly effective in the field."

"Very well, Wilde, you have your days off. I expect to see you back here when you have news of the Fritz matriarch's death," the chief nodded, returning the fox's salute.

XXX

Judy's eyes opened slowly as she stretched with a loud yawn. She blinked a few times as the face she was met with was not the white muzzle of her _husband_ , but rather the brownish gray muzzle of a hyena. _Shenzi,_ she realized after a moment's hesitation.

Suddenly the events of the previous night came crashing back into her, causing a scowl to set deep on her face. _That_ _ **fucking**_ _bastard!_ she roared internally, sitting up, ears standing tall on her head. Her tiny paws clenched into fists as she trembled with rage, she was more than ready to punch that bastard in his smug fucking mug.

Her shifting caused Shenzi to stir from her slumber, her yellow eyes blinking open to see Judy grumbling to herself and shaking her fist. "Nice Carrots?" the hyena asked softly.

Judy looked up at the hyena, eyes widening a bit when she realized she had woken Shenzi up. "Oh, good morning Shenzi, sorry if I woke you," she said.

"It's okay, Nice Carrots," Shenzi gave the rabbit a wide smile. She was just happy to be beside the bunny once again. Nice Fox was great and all, but she had missed Nice Carrots. "Oh… uh… I… uh… Nice Carrots, I have to go to the bathroom."

"Oh, um… it's down the hall," Judy pointed in the correct direction. "It's labeled, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding it."

"Thank you," Shenzi gave her another smile and slowly got out of the bed, jostling her sister awake in the process. The elder hyena then padded towards the door, opening it, and then closing it behind her.

The younger hyena let out a loud yawn as she stretched. "Damn… I feel well-rested. What time is it?" she asked, turning to face Judy.

"It's almost noon," Judy answered.

"Shit. Looks like I've neglected my duties," the hyena sighed. "Oh well… I'll just give Shenzi to lend me a hand."

"You just got her back and you're already putting her to work?" Judy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's what she would've done to me. Besides, it gives us a chance to catch up. It _has_ been ten years, after all," the hyena chuckled.

"Yeah…" Judy trailed off. "So… what do you think of your sister?"

Miss Hyena furrowed her eyebrows as she took a moment to think out a response. "There… there is no way I can possibly thank you enough for convincing Wolfgang to take her in. I know that he'll get her the best help money can buy. Even though she's… damaged, I still love her all the same, and I _know_ that we can fix her," she said.

Judy's frown deepened as the hyena mentioned Wolfgang. "I hope we can fix her too. And get rid of that inferiority complex. It bugs me that she always thinks she's worse than everybody around her," she sighed.

"She's still probably better than me," the hyena chuckled. "Has Wolfgang decided what he's going to do with her yet? What about her collar? Is it deactivated?"

"I don't know what Wolfgang's decided, he was furious last I saw him. But yes, her collar is deactivated," the rabbit replied.

The hyena let out a sigh of relief as she heard that her sister's collar was already turned off, but she still gave Judy a confused look when she heard about Wolfgang. "Furious? That doesn't sound like him…" she mumbled. "What happened?"

Judy crossed her arms and scowled once again, ears flattening against her head. "My friend, Nick Wilde, was here," she explained. "And he tried to convince Wolfgang to let me go."

"Oh…" the hyena mumbled, expression suddenly turning downcast. "Wolfgang didn't… kill him, did he?"

"No, thank god. Who knows what I would've done if he shot Nick," the bunny grumbled.

"Well… I guess that's a good thing," Miss Hyena tried to give Judy a reassuring smile. "Things could've gone worse."

"I disagree," Judy growled, hugging her body tighter. "He's not allowing me to see Nick anymore."

"Oh, that's not so bad. Like I said, he could've killed your friend," the hyena said, not dropping her smile.

"It isn't fair!" Judy protested immediately. "Wolfgang made his decision purely off of jealousy! Wolfgang has… somehow managed to fall in love with me. And he said that he doesn't want Nick, or anyone, to take me away from him."

Miss Hyena only stared at her, mouth open. "Jealous? Wolfgang… jealous?" she snorted rather loudly, doing a poor job of stifling her laughter. "That's… that's hilarious! Big, tough Wolfgang the lone wolf is alone no longer! _Hahaha_ … oh… I'm sorry about that."

"It's not a joke," the rabbit grumbled, looking down at her feet, grinding her teeth together.

"I know it's not a joke," the hyena grinned. "But… you have to understand that this is a first for him. He's probably confused, easily angered… definitely protective. I don't know… when it's not happening to you, it seems almost endearing."

"Too protective," Judy sighed, "He's being a jerk."

"Did… did you guys have a fight?" the hyena asked, raising an eyebrow. _That would explain why he stormed out of the house last night,_ she realized.

"Yeah," Judy grunted. "He told me I couldn't see Nick again, so I got angry and told him I'd never love him. And then he cracked, getting extremely angry, and then he sent me to my room like I was a child."

The hyena blanched, _Oh… that's not good._ "You told him that you'd… never love him, huh?" she asked softly. "Is that true?"

"If he keeps being a jerk and I don't get Stockholm's syndrome? Yes," Judy affirmed.

Miss Hyena licked her lips and tried to come up with a solution. She wanted to help the two of them, but she wasn't sure what side she should take. She was Wolfgang's friend… but Judy's servant. She thought quietly for well over a minute as Judy stared at her, wondering what she was thinking.

"Well… that's fair. I'm not sure how he'll deal with unrequited love, though. Hopefully he himself doesn't do something rash," the hyena sighed. _Though it might be a bit too late for that,_ she groaned internally. "But… are you sure you're being… rational? I know it's unfair to ask you to look at things from his perspective… but take a look at yourself. Are you sure you're in the right state of mind?"

Judy looked up to glare at the hyena. "Not rational? What do you want me to do? Run back to him and tell him to fuck me?!" she growled, crossing her arms again.

"I doubt he'd agree to it even then," the hyena snorted. "No, look at yourself, Judy. Are you sure that you being upset hasn't made you unreasonable? I won't deny that Wolfgang is being unreasonable too… but… well… you've probably lost any chance you had at changing his mind."

"So… so what do you want me to do, huh?" the rabbit asked, expression turning downcast. _Have I been unreasonable?_ she wondered.

"I mean… that's up to you. Forgive him, don't forgive him… that's your choice. I was just wondering if you understand what you've done," Miss Hyena explained.

"What I've done?" Judy echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Wolfgang can be reasoned with, and he's never angry for long. He just doesn't hold grudges. All I'm saying is that if you wanted to change his mind… yelling at him and telling him you'll never love him isn't the way to go."

"So I should start sucking up to him? Is that what you're telling me?" the rabbit growled, narrowing her eyes at the hyena.

Miss Hyena only shrugged, unable to answer as Shenzi walked back into the room, smiling widely. "Good morning, s-s-sister!" she said with a happy wave.

"Good morning, Shenzi," the younger hyena said, finally getting out of the bed. "We have a lot of stuff to do today, and I want to spend as much time with you as I possibly can."

"Oh… okay!" the older hyena grinned, nodding rapidly. Judy watched the exchange with a small smile on her face. Shenzi looked so happy, it was difficult not to be infected by her attitude.

"Hey, by the way," Judy spoke up, drawing both hyenas' attentions. "Would you rather I call you Miss Hyena or Julia?"

The younger hyena's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to figure out how Judy had gotten ahold of her real name. _Oh… that's right. I told Shenzi to remind her, Judy must've heard it too,_ she remembered. "Oh, um… I don't really care. Wolfgang only calls me 'Miss Hyena' to sound professional, but you can do whatever you want," she shrugged.

"I think I'll call you Julia, then. I like that name," Judy smirked.

"Whatever," Julia sighed. "Do you need help getting ready today?"

"No, I'll be fine. You go and spend time with your sister," Judy gave her a wide smile, to which the younger hyena returned.

"I will," Julia grinned, turning towards the door. "And if you manage to find Wolfgang, try and get him to tell you what he plans to do with my sister."

"Will do," Judy mumbled as the two hyenas left the room, shutting the door only part of the way, expecting that she would be close behind them. Judy stared at the door for a few minutes, building up enough courage to prepare for lunch with Wolfgang. She glanced at her pillow, where she had hidden the tiny gun Nick had given her. Shaking her head, she decided she didn't need it.

XXX

Judy made her way towards the dining hall, hesitating before walking through the doorway. She was still undecided on how she was going to confront Wolfgang. _No matter what, I'm not apologizing first,_ she affirmed internally.

Even if Julia was right, and she _had_ gone a bit overboard, it was all Wolfgang's fault. Maybe after he apologized she would too. _But,_ she growled to herself, _I am not taking back what I said until he lets me see Nick again._ That seemed to be the most logical way to approach this problem. And if he was as desperate as she thought he was… hopefully he would crack fairly quickly.

Brushing off her simple dress, she stepped into the dining room and looked towards the head of the table where Wolfgang always sat. She had chosen to wear something simple and skip the makeup, she wanted him focused on her anger, not her appearance.

However, to her immense surprise, her husband was not sitting at the head of the table as he always did. Instead, she spotted the gray pelt of his sister, who was staring straight at her with a large, toothy grin on her muzzle. "Well hello there," Kat smirked.

Judy's eyes narrowed immediately. "What the hell are you doing here?" she growled. She was still pissed, which negated the fear she usually held towards Wolfgang's sister. _I don't have time for her shit,_ she thought.

"Oh, I heard what happened on your honeymoon to Paris, and I had to see it for myself. And look at that, you're limping. Tell me…" the timber wolf grinned, standing from her chair, and making her way towards Judy. "Did he cry? Beg for you to stop? I know you had to force him, he's too much of a pussy to take you himself."

"What? No!" the rabbit retorted, suddenly feeling defensive. "There was no struggle and no _crying_ of any kind!"

Kat cocked her head in confusion. "Hmm… that doesn't sound right. He would definitely cry at least a little. Oh well, look at that… you're defending him too," she grinned.

"I'm not defending him!" Judy replied immediately, crossing her arms. Kat gave her a skeptical look, raising an eyebrow as she came to a stop in front of her, towering over the rabbit's small form. "Fine, I am, aren't I? Well it doesn't matter! We worked it out without an issue!"

"Right, I'm sure _that_ didn't end in disaster," the timber wolf chuckled, kneeling so her head was hovering just above the bunny's ears. "Brother won, he has the throne now… but something seems off, don't you think?"

"And what might that be?" Judy asked, fighting the urge to take a step back, and bolt towards her room. The wolf's sudden shift in tone unnerved her greatly, and the fear her anger had pushed aside was surging back to the forefront of her mind.

"Come now, haven't you noticed something is missing?" Kat said, a vicious smirk spreading across her face.

"Wolfgang… Wolfgang's not here," Judy stuttered out, lowering her arms. Trepidation still rushing through her, she looked up at her sister-in-law, ears dropping behind her head. "Where is he?"

"Where indeed?" the timber wolf chuckled. "Did you scare him off?"

"What? No!" Judy protested, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Kat was leaning in _awfully_ close, her muzzle was nearly pressed up against her own. And yet, she continued to fight the urge to back away. "At least… I don't think so."

"I can _taste_ the violence in the air… something happened last night, didn't it?"

"We… we had a fight…" the rabbit admitted. _Did… did I really scare him away?!_ the thought ran rampant through the little rabbit's mind, not noticing the sister's smirk _widening_ even further.

"That's too bad. Because I came here looking for him… and he's not here. Do you know what that means?"

"What… does that mean?" Judy asked, finally taking a step back. Danger signals finally going off in her mind, she realized that she might've made a mistake. She had to get out of here _now_.

But she wasn't able to get any further as Kat's paw shot out at lightning speed, latching onto her neck so that she couldn't escape. Judy let out a gasp as the sister's cruel claws curled around her neck, pricking at her skin. "It means you're alone here, you're vulnerable," Kat cackled loudly, "And I _feed_ on the vulnerable."

Judy's eyes widened as her own paws grasped feebly at the massive wolf paw that had latched onto her neck. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked, finding it a bit difficult to talk with her neck being constricted as it was.

"You scared him off, and now you're unprotected. This is my chance to ruin him by _killing_ you," Kat grinned, licking her lips slowly. "And I know _just_ the way to do it!"

Judy began tugging in vain at the paw holding her in place, fear rapidly clouding her violet eyes as she struggled to take in air. _What does she mean!_ she panicked internally. There had to be some way to save herself! "Wolfgang's going to kill you too!" she tried, shouting it as loud as she could.

Kat stared at her for a moment before breaking out into laughter. "That's rich! Wolfgang doesn't have it in him to kill me. If he did, he would've ended me _years_ ago!" she said, insanity dancing in her eyes.

Judy tried to slow her breathing, to calm herself down, but the grip on her neck tightened, causing the breaths she took in to become ragged. Which only made her panic more. "I think he finally will if you kill me!" she said, still grasping at straws.

"Oh?" the sister sneered, picking up the tiny bunny, holding her high in the air. "It still doesn't matter… I'm not afraid to die."

"Gah! Let me go!" Judy shouted, her legs flailing beneath her. But the air was knocked out of her lungs when she was slammed against the table, momentarily stunning her. She felt the tough wood press hard against her back as Kat pinned her against the table.

"I'd rather not. Now… let's see, where should I start? Rabbits are a particular favorite of mine, they're so much fun!" Kat cackled, leaning down so that her muzzle hovered over Judy's face. "It's too bad consumption of mammal flesh is illegal, you really are quite delicious, you know that? Good thing I couldn't give less of a shit about the law!"

She snickered loudly before dragging her tongue across Judy's face, leaving behind a trail of saliva. _Oh God! She's going to_ _ **eat**_ _me?!_ the panicked thought raced through Judy's mind as she continued to struggle against the iron grip holding her against the table. "You sick fuck!" she shouted, trying to push the wolf's muzzle away as she made another pass across her face.

Kat pulled back slightly to grin at the trapped rabbit, her smirk baring all her fangs. "You know, that's not a half bad idea," she chuckled, her free paw snaking around to grasp at Judy's waist.

"W-what?" Judy managed to stutter, completely confused as to what the timber wolf was doing.

"Tell me, little bunny, was Wolfgang your first?" that sneer was still present on Kat's face as she spoke.

Judy swallowed hard and crossed her legs as she realized what that insane bitch was going on about. "Yes," she growled, trying to remain strong, despite how afraid she really was.

"Then I'm sure you're ready for more! Tell me… have you ever considered having a woman, little bunny?"

"What the hell?! No, absolutely not! You're absolutely fucking nuts!" Judy exclaimed, struggles resuming, but they were still in vain. But Kat only threw back her head and laughed as hard as she possibly could. It was not a simple, normal laugh. It was chilling, piercing Judy to her core. This was happening.

"You know, they keep telling me that… I'm not sure if I believe them or not!" the wolf chuckled. "Of course… it wouldn't be fair if it was just me. I'm sure I can find some… willing volunteers before I kill you!"

Judy gulped as Kat stared at her with a hungry grin. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't get free. But she continued to glare defiantly at the older wolf, refusing to respond to the last thing the wolf had said.

Kat chuckled at Judy's defiance, but decided she had done enough waiting. With her free paw still placed on the rabbit's waist, she dug her claws into the dress. Judy felt tears well in her eyes as the wolf's sharp claws pierced her flesh, but willed them to stay at bay.

Kat tore at the dress, quickly mincing it, and tearing it off of Judy's body, leaving the rabbit naked. Bloody lines where her claws had cut into the rabbit's flesh were strewn across Judy's torso as she lay bare before the wolf. Kat carefully drew her bloody claws across her own tongue, tasting Judy upon them. "Ah… just as delectable as I remember. I haven't had rabbit in a while," she giggled.

Once again, Judy didn't respond verbally, but she started struggling once more, twisting her body in desperation. Kat only shook her head, grin widening as she set her free paw down next to the rabbit's head, licking her lips as she did. Judy turned slightly on her side and, with all her strength, kicked at the wolf's smirking face.

To her surprise, her foot made solid contact with Kat's face, causing her head to snap back. Her grip momentarily loosened, giving Judy enough time to wriggle free, but the wolf quickly recovered from the blow. Before Judy could even stand and make an attempt to run away, Kat's paw slapped her back down onto the table, still face-up, and grabbed her neck again, this time adding even more pressure.

"That was rude," she grinned, cracking her neck. "I think you need a punishment." Judy's eyes widened as the wolf's free paw gently traced its way down her torso and onto her hips before those cruel claws dug into her flesh once more. This time it was on purpose.

Judy clamped her jaws and eyes shut tight, willing the pain at bay as Kat _twisted_ her claws inside of the rabbit's leg. She would not cry out for the deranged wolf. But even then, she couldn't help that little grunt that managed to escape her lips as those claws were dragged down to her thigh.

"Yes… feel the pain run through your nerves. It's electric, isn't it? It reminds you that you're alive… it reminds you that you can still die, even after all you've been through. Sometimes it's the only reason to keep going," Kat giggled, leaning over Judy's face, and dragging her tongue across it again, tasting the tears that had been forced from the rabbit's eyes. "The pain, little bunny, _focus on the pain._ "

 _Like hell I will!_ she wanted so desperately to cry out, wondering if that would inspire her tormentor to end her suffering prematurely. But she could only gasp as Kat removed her claws from her thigh, and open her eyes to see the wolf once again lapping at her blood.

"Now scream for me. Scream for me and beg me to stop. Come on now…" a smirk was still planted firmly on Kat's face and her voice carried that same sing-song quality as before, but her eyes were dead. There was no fire in them. It was as if they had always been dead.

Judy gulped once again, but remained resolute. She wasn't going to give this stupid wolf what she wanted! _Oh god… how did everything suddenly go to hell so quickly?_ she managed to think to herself as Kat's grin finally broke into a scowl.

"Oh… I see. We'll see how long that resolve lasts when the true fun starts. Wolfgang lasted only about ten minutes… father just a bit longer… brother maybe twenty minutes. _None_ last long against me," she hissed, baring her fangs again.

A tremor passed through Judy's spine when she realized what the deranged wolf had said. _It was her…_ her mind trailed off. "You… when did you hurt Wolfgang?" she asked, desperately stalling for time. Maybe Wolfgang was just late. Maybe she didn't scare him off.

"I _never_ hurt brother!" the sister chuckled. "I filled him with immense pleasure, just as I'm going to do to you. The only difference is that _I am_ going to hurt you."

"Bullshit!" Judy cried out, still stalling for time. "You're the reason he was so afraid! _When_ did you fucking _rape_ him?!"

"When?" Kat snarled, though her grin still held strong. "I think it was when he turned eight. Yes… that sounds about right." She paused to lean down and _dragged_ her tongue across Judy's wounds, savoring the taste of the rabbit. "He asked for it though, you know. He should've _knocked!_ "

Judy flinched away from her tongue as it ran over the opening in her thigh, the saliva stinging the area. She wanted to desperately to cry out, to beg for this to stop, but she still held strong. There was still a chance Wolfgang was just late! But her eyes widened when she felt Kat's tongue go over a… different opening on her body.

She shut her eyes tightly and groaned, trying to close her legs as Kat's tongue ran over her womanhood. _Fuck! How is this worse?_ she managed to wonder internally as the wolf paused to lick her lips before continuing upwards, back towards the bunny's face.

She felt wet. A thin layer of saliva covered most of her body now. It was uncomfortable to say the least. Kat bared her teeth and leaned over her, pressing her harder and harder into the hard wood of the dining table. "Come on… scream!" the sister cackled, letting drool drip from her fangs onto Judy's face.

"Not while I can… fucking help it," Judy growled, turning her head to prevent the saliva from dripping onto her nose.

"Then I'll _make_ you scream," Kat hissed. Judy watched, eyes widening with fear once again as the deranged wolf opened her maw wide and gingerly bit down on the rabbit's ear. She didn't immediately clamp down, savoring Judy's panicked expression. All the while, her claws roamed the rabbit's body, scoring deeper than before, until they dug into one place, holding her completely still.

Judy had to hold back a yelp as she felt a light tug on her ear. _Oh god… she's going to tear it off!_ she screamed internally. "H-hey! What the hell are you doing?" she shouted, groaning between pained gasps as her sister-in-law tugged once more, harder than last time.

"I'm fixing your hearing," Kat cackled through the grasp she had on the bunny's ear. "You don't seem to be able to hear me very well… I said _scream!_ " She bit down harder, drawing blood, and yanked even harder on her ear, this time intent on tearing it from her head.

" _Fuck! God! Fucking stop!_ " Judy screamed, writing as hard as she could as the tugging increased. She screamed again, even louder this time, finally prompting the devil to let go of her ear and rear back to smirk at her. Judy couldn't help wincing as blood dripped from the holes in her ear onto her head.

"There we go. Was that so hard?" Kat chuckled. Judy collapsed flat onto the table, absolutely exhausted. She had broken and there was nothing she could do about it. Pain continued to spike through her system, keeping her awake, despite how desperately she wanted to fall asleep. Maybe if she fell asleep, the devil would just end it all.

Kat stared at her for a moment, licking her lips as she decided what to do next. Judy could only watch through half-lidded eyes as the wolf began to lap once again at the scores across her body. She twitched and flinched each time that tongue ran over a particularly tender spot on her small, frail body.

But she let out a loud gasp and her eyes flew open as she felt Kat's tongue draw over her clit. Kat's grin widened before she pushed her snout into the folds of the rabbit's lower lips, her teeth rubbing against the sensitive skin, eliciting a soft whine from Judy. "Please… stop," the bunny begged, she couldn't take any more.

"Not on your fucking life," the wolf cackled, pushing her nose deeper into the rabbit's center. Judy felt a shiver of fear pass through her spine when she couldn't find the energy to struggle any longer. Nor could she find her voice enough to scream again. All she could do was groan and pray for it all to stop.

But it wouldn't stop. It wouldn't ever stop. The devil had tortured _hundreds_ of souls in this manner, she knew what she was doing. She knew how to bend, tear, and break a mammal's will, no matter how resilient one seemed. Hope seemed to melt away with each calculated lick of her tongue and red line her claws left behind.

The sound of the door opening and a surprised gasp caused Kat to pause in her action. "What the hell is going on here?!" a voice pierced the sudden silence. _Wolfard!_ Judy realized as she turned her head towards the doorway to see the timber wolf cop standing with his jaw hanging open.

Wolfard wasn't entirely sure what to think. The scene before him was something he would have never expected, causing him to stand there, silent in shock, as he tried to process what was going on. As he stood there trying to get his wits about him, Kat's eyes narrowed and she removed her claws from Judy's skin. A deep, guttural growl bubbled from her throat as she glared at Wolfard for interrupting her fun.

Judy immediately attempted to scoot away from the deranged devil, but found that her legs hurt far too much to move properly. Wolfard was still standing there like a fool, unsure of what to do. He was _technically_ subservient to the upper branch of the Fritz family, but at the same time, he was Judy's friend.

"J-Judy… I… what the…" Wolfard blubbered as he continued to try and grasp the situation. He took a step backwards, but paused when he saw the look of intense _fear_ jolt across Judy's face. He couldn't abandon her. He wasn't sure where Wolfgang was, but he _knew_ that the white wolf would never have done this to the rabbit.

A roar tore from Kat's throat as she charged towards Wolfard, who immediately went for his weapon. He fumbled with his holster, still not quite thinking clearly, but managed to tear his firearm free from its resting place against his hip. But he was unable to bring it to bear against his cousin.

She was too fast, bearing down on him, and gripping his arm before he could pull the trigger. "How _dare_ you mongrel mutt point that at me!" she snarled, twisting his arm hard, causing him to drop the gun.

Judy watched as the weapon bounced a few times before landing underneath one of the many chairs around the massive table. She managed to roll herself onto her stomach and drag herself towards the edge of the table. She _had_ to get to that gun, she hoped that Wolfard would be able to stall Kat until then.

Wolfard himself was struggling against the devil's iron grip on his arm, having dropped to the ground in some vain effort to drag her down with him. "You should've have come here," Kat hissed angrily before forcefully driving her knee through the appendage she was twisting with a loud _snap!_

Wolfard let out a scream of pain as Judy gingerly made it from the table onto one of the chairs. Now she just had to make it onto the floor and crawl towards the gun. _Hold on Wolfard! I'm coming!_ she promised internally as she began to carefully make her way onto the floor.

Wolfard stared up at Kat with wide eyes, quickly filling with fear as he realized that he, a trained cop, was no match for her. Kat let go of his arm and grabbed his neck instead, her claws digging deep into his skin, drawing even more blood. Wolfard groaned from pain and cradled his broken arm against his chest.

"Hmm… it seems as if you need punishment too," Kat hummed loudly, a grin breaking through her scowl. Wolfard panted heavily as he continued to fight against her tight grip. He glanced over at Judy just as she made it to the ground. She shot him a pleading glare that begged one simple thing. _Stall her._

Gritting his teeth and defying every ounce of conditioning that he had gone through as a pup, he looked up at Kat and spat, "Fuck you, you're under arrest for attempted rape and harming a mammal of the law."

Kat stared at him blankly for a few seconds before she burst out laughing. Wolfard growled deeply as she _laughed_ at him. Sure, he had threatened to arrest her while he was in no real position to do so, but it hurt a bit to hear her just _laugh_ at him.

But his growls quickly turned into coughs as she tightened her hold on him, restricting air flow, and preventing him from doing more than gasping out as she grabbed his broken arm and started twisting it again. "Really?" she hissed. "I remember now, you're my wanna-be cop cousin that Wolfgang had tried so hard to protect from daddy. I've been meaning to kill you for a while now, actually!"

 _Whoops,_ was the only thought to go through Wolfard's head. He may have just screwed himself. He let out a groan as she threw him backwards, letting go of his throat so he could finally take in air. He stared at her as she stalked towards him again, cradling his broken arm once again.

"But not yet. No, you still need to be punished for interrupting my fun!" she grinned, leaning down so that she was on eye-level with the kneeling wolf officer. "Strip."

"Huh?" Wolfard asked dumbly, fighting hard to keep his fear of her clamped down. He glanced at Judy out of the corner of his eye to see her crawling as fast as she possibly could towards his gun.

"Strip," Kat repeated herself, grin widening as if she was a child who had discovered a new game.

"Why?" he needed to keep stalling. Judy was _so close_ and Kat wasn't paying any attention…

"You're going to fuck the bunny, do you understand?" she cackled. "It's almost too perfect, a broken bunny cop, taken against her will by a former comrade!"

"You sick, twisted fuck!" Wolfard growled before lashing out with his non-injured arm. But his punch never landed as she easily blocked the blow, cruel grin still in place. Just as callously as she had broken his arm, she slashed him across the face with her free paw.

Wolfard let out a loud scream as her claws ripped through his flesh, leaving behind a large, bleeding gash across his face. She pulled him up onto his feet and grabbed him by the neck again, not letting go of his non-broken arm. "Yeah, I get that a lot," she giggled. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're going to fuck her. Or I'll kill you and everyone you love."

To underline her point, she let go of his neck and opened her jaws wide, replacing her grip on his neck with her maw. She latched onto his throat, not hard enough to kill him, but hard enough to draw blood. He cried out again, but didn't struggle against her hold. One thing had become absolutely clear, _she could very easily snap his neck._

"All -shit, mother of _fuck_ \- right! That's _fucking_ enough!" Judy yelled as loudly as she could. She had finally managed to reach Wolfard's gun, picking it up, and hoisting it so that it pointed at Kat. Kat's ear flicked as she heard her plaything's voice, causing her to quickly turn her head to see that she now had a gun pointing at her.

Growling, she turned around, putting Wolfard in between her and the gun. She let go of his neck and pulled him up, wrapping an arm around him to keep him in place. "Take your best shot, fuck bunny!" Kat grinned, holding Wolfard in front of her like a shield.

Wolfard groaned weakly, shaking his head rapidly from side to side, begging Judy not to shoot him just to kill the devil behind him. Judy breathed heavily before slowly pushing herself to her feet, still pointing the firearm at Kat and Wolfard. She stared at them for a solid minute, but ended up shaking her head. "I won't," she all but whispered.

"Then put the gun down and surrender, fuck bunny. You can't win here," Kat grinned, pulling Wolfard closer to herself.

Judy's grip on Wolfard's weapon tightened as she wheezed, "I'm _not_ letting you make him _rape_ me!"

"Oh? And why not?" the deranged wolf cocked her head. "How is this any different from what you and brother did?"

Judy's teeth gritted together as a shiver passed through her bones. "It's completely different!" she protested. "For one thing, he didn't _rape me!_ And for another, he didn't hurt me!"

Kat raised an eyebrow. "Really? Sex isn't sex without pain, though…" she mumbled, trailing off. "You're lying. This is exactly the same, so drop the gun. We'll get about another hour or two of fun before I kill you… then I'll kill him."

"No."

"Drop the gun, my little plaything! Or I'll kill him!" Kat snarled, tilting Wolfard's head back to reveal is vulnerable neck.

"If you kill your shield, I'll kill you," Judy growled, cocking the gun to underline her point.

The realization that she had lost passed across the devil's face not a moment later. "Fine… you win this round, little fuck bunny. But it's only a matter of time until I get to you again," she hissed, backing out of the dining room slowly, keeping Wolfard in front of her the entire time. "And next time I won't give you any pleasure with your pain."

And with that remark, she was gone. Judy waited a few minutes, still pointing the gun at the doorframe the devil had disappeared through. Then she deflated, letting her arms fall to her sides, and Wolfard's weapon clatter to the floor. Her knees hit the floor as she ran out of energy.

She slowly laid down of the floor and curled up, letting tears leak from her eyes. It hurt… everything hurt. She was bleeding something horrible, and her tears kept mixing with the blood, staining the floor. She flinched and whimpered as she heard Wolfard scream in another room, deep within the mansion.

She tried to cover her ears, but found the ear that Kat had pulled on was too tender to move. So she was trapped on the floor, too weak to move, _listening_ to Wolfard's screams as Kat no doubt did terrible things to him. Only one thought invaded her pain-filled mind. _Where is Wolfgang?_

XXX

The hours passed where she waited in the dining room for someone. Shenzi and Julia had disappeared for the day, doing who knows what who knows where. Wolfgang himself had also apparently left for the day. His brother never showed up, to her immense gratitude, and the sister never came back. But when darkness fell and still no one came for her, for she could not move, she was beginning to get worried. The only thing that was constant was Wolfard's screaming, and the occasional loud moan from Kat, echoing from somewhere in the mansion. No one _dared_ interrupt them.

She had managed to pull herself up onto one of the chairs after a few hours of crying and struggling had passed. She still hurt too much to leave the room, otherwise she would've headed back to her room. Where it was safe. She continued to clutch Wolfard's massive gun in her tiny paws, still afraid Kat would come back for her.

Most of the lacerations across her body had closed, but the large gash on her hip and thigh was still dripping blood. The tooth holes in her ear had stopped bleeding, but they still hurt the worst, as long as she wasn't trying to move, which inflamed the wound on her thigh. She was still in immense pain, as no matter how hard she tried to not move, everything still hurt.

But she jumped in her seat when she heard the door open and shut loudly. She immediately turned the gun in her paw towards the sound, preparing for the worst. But she immediately relaxed, though she didn't lower the gun, as she watched the large, white form of Wolfgang walk into the dining room.

"Wolfgang!" she shouted, her voice filling with joy. He could… she knew he would help her!

"What?" he asked, giving her an almost bored expression as he padded closer to her. He couldn't tell, as she was sitting down, that she was naked and bleeding.

"W-Wolfgang… I…" she tried to say, but was cut off as a droplet of blood landed on her nose. Her nose twitched before she looked up at her husband with wide eyes. The first thing that struck her was the fact that he wasn't wearing his usual suit, rather a casual pair of jeans and a T-shirt. That and, "You're bleeding," she said, suddenly concerned for him. Where had he been?

"So are you," he observed calmly. Now that he was towering over her, he could see the extent of the damages, and yet he seemed to remain impassive.

"Well that's thanks to your _fucking_ sister! She attacked me-" she was cut off as Wolfard let out another scream of pain, but they had slowly been getting weaker throughout the day. "And she still has Wolfard."

Wolfgang's expression changed immediately from the calm mask to even angrier than he had seemed the night before during their fight. He growled something inaudible to her and set something down on the table. Her eyes widened when she realized that it was a sword. He plucked the gun she was still clutching tightly from her paws and stormed off towards the hallway Wolfard's screams were emanating from.

Judy settled back into her seat, cringing as her injuries inflamed again. It was dead silent for a moment before she heard Kat's insane laughter before two gunshots rang throughout the mansion. Judy couldn't help but flinch from each one.

Then it was silent again until Wolfard came running past her, not bothering to pay her any heed. He tripped over himself as he tried to put his pants back on and run at the same time. If there weren't deep red marks across his chest and face, Judy might've laughed. But the pure _fear_ that was shown through the timber wolf's eyes reminded Judy that both of them had barely managed to escape with their lives.

The door opened and shut as Wolfard ran, presumably, as far away from the mansion as he possibly could, just as Wolfgang walked back into the dining room, calm mask back in place. Though she could see one of his eyes twitching. "I-is she dead?" Judy whispered as Wolfgang stopped beside her once again, exchanging the gun for his sword.

"Incapacitated," he grunted simply.

"Thank god… I thought you'd never get back," she panted, not bothering to even try and cover up her exposed areas. He had already seen her naked.

"It was tempting," he hissed, causing her to flinch. "Are you all right?"

"All right? Am I all right? _Do I fucking look all right? Huh?_ " she shouted. "Look at what your fucking sister did to me! Get me the hell out of here and help me cover up these wounds!"

Wolfgang stared at her blankly for a moment before picking her up gingerly in his paws. He whisked her away to their room, where the medical gauze he had used to patch up was stashed. He wrapped her carefully, around her ear, torso, and thigh before placing her gently on the bed and stashing the gauze. "What about yourself?" she growled, laying down, but continued to face him.

"It's unnecessary," he growled, rubbing his temples.

"Bullshit! You're bleeding nearly as much as I am!"

"I am fine," he hissed, silencing her complaints. "Where is Miss Hyena? She's trained to deal with my sister… you shouldn't have left her behind. You know my sister is dangerous, you should've ran from her the moment you saw her. What were you thinking?" he said coldly, giving her a harsh glare.

"What was I thinking? Wolfgang, she took me by surprise, all right?" she groaned, not at all appreciating his glares.

"That is no excuse. You heard, from me, what she is like. Unless she literally ambushed you, which she would never do, you should've had plenty of time to run. Why didn't you run? And where is Miss Hyena? She should've been with you this _entire time!_ " he growled.

"Julia's with Shenzi, hell if I know where!" she exclaimed angrily.

"Then you should be with her too. Shenzi is your burden, not Miss Hyena's… just as you are her burden," he whispered. He didn't bother asking how she knew Miss Hyena's real name.

"Humph," Judy grunted, a scowl presenting itself on her face again. _Why is he being such a jerk?_ she questioned internally. "Wolfgang?"

"What?"

"… Where were you all day?" she asked quietly. She had been severely hurt and he wasn't around to protect her. He was blaming her… but she should be blaming him!

"I was sparring with Janja," he answered simply.

"You… you abandoned me. You're getting angry at me for something _I couldn't control!_ I went into that dining room expecting you and I got your sister. Did my curiosity get the better of me? Maybe… but you should've been there to protect me!" she growled. _Like you promised!_ she screamed internally.

He only snorted, "I didn't realize I was your watchdog."

Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the white wolf. What happened to him? Why was he acting so different? This wasn't the Wolfgang she had thought she figured out in Paris. "I don't understand why you're being such a _jackass!_ " she growled, crossing her arms.

"It's one thing for you to have gotten me to _lose my temper_ ," he growled, padding towards the door. "It's another for you to strike at my unguarded heart."

She stared at him in confusion, not quite sure what he meant by that. But her eyes widened when she saw him reach for the door. "Wait! Where are you going?" she asked, not wanting to be left alone.

"I will be with mother. She has been bedridden, which is the only reason I am here now," he growled, opening the door, and shutting it.

"Wait…" she said feebly, unable to stop herself from flinching as the door slammed shut. _What's gone wrong with the world?_ she pondered as she shifted carefully to face the ceiling. Had she really stabbed him in the heart? She was sure this was still all his fault. But she couldn't stop herself from offering a feeble, "Goodnight," to the door he had just disappeared through.

XXX

 **Wow, okay, so a lot to unpack here. First, those of you who thought this would be the chapter Judy and Wolfgang kissed and made up, you were sorely mistaken. Hopefully the title wasn't** ** _too_** **misleading. This chapter… well… where do I even begin? Hopefully when you got to the scene with Kat, you all didn't just skip through it. Hopefully it was well-written, even if, maybe, a little difficult to read.**

 **Everyone's hurting a little bit in this chapter. But it's probably obvious that Wolfard suffered the most. While it's difficult to tell, I'd say he received maybe four more hours of torture than Judy did. Although Judy definitely suffered a lot, she's pretty strong, and you can see that she's not quite broken. Hopefully she'll make some recovery next chapter, though I wonder what this all means for Wolfard.**

 **Lastly, I'd like to talk a little bit about Wolfgang. It's difficult to tell, mostly because he seems angry, but he's actually afraid. He almost lost Judy, and he** ** _knows_** **that it's his fault (which is why he's being defensive about it). Yes, he's being a jackass, but hopefully it'll mean more when (or if) he and Judy actually manage to reconcile. In any case, lots of things to ponder over. Until next time!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - Regret:

Author's Note:

 **I'd like to start this chapter by giving a shout out to a guest reviewer known simply as Medic. First, I would like to thank you for your review! Second, thank you? For complimenting my "improvements," I should say. I'll be honest with you, I haven't actually improved at all… I'm just doing more editing. I've upped my editing time from an hour to an entire day, so I'm certainly glad you've noticed a difference. For your concerns about chapter one… I understand that, comparatively, it's definitely not quite as good as later chapters. However, there is almost no chance that I'll be rewriting that chapter. Or any chapter. I'm not sure if you** ** _quite_** **understand how long this story is, but to say we're almost halfway through is a** ** _huge_** **understatement. We aren't even close to the halfway point. And another thing, yes, I know Judy killing that lion is OOC behavior. But this is one of the few times where I'm going to justify myself by saying: this is fanfiction… she's a bit out of character. I'm sorry if that takes you out of the story a bit, but it is for a good cause (for the story, I should say). It's important that she killed that lion, and it** ** _will_** **come back to haunt her… once we get closer to the end of the story. So, in conclusion, stick around until the end, hopefully everything will be tied up in a neat little bow.**

 **Anyways, we all regret something, haven't we? This chapter in particular introduces one of our many reoccurring themes throughout this story. So we've got… justice, love, and now regret to add to our themes. Don't worry, there isn't going to be a test, I'd just like you all to be aware of them. As they become more important in the next arc. Oh, and that reminds me, this is the second-to-last chapter in this arc! We're almost to arc two people, so get ready for that! One last thing: this chapter** ** _also_** **contains an M-rated scene! So viewer discretion is advised, again. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Judy let out a loud groan as her eyes opened slowly. Her entire body was aching. Everything seemed to _throb_ with pain. Her ear, her leg, and her back were particularly bad, but each little laceration that devil had left across her body stung something fierce. She let out another groan and turned her head slightly to see Shenzi and Julia standing at the edge of her bed, the younger hyena with a worried expression written across her face.

"I'm… I'm so sorry! This was my fault, completely my fault!" Julia said, gulping softly as Judy shook the covers off her body, revealing the extent of the damage she had taken. "I shouldn't have left you alone! I… shouldn't have…"

"No, it's all right," Judy grunted, trying to push herself up, but only ended up collapsing back onto the bed. She hurt too much to even move. "It's not your fault."

Julia shook her head rapidly, but was unable to say anything as her sister spoke instead, "A-are you all right, Nice Carrots?" A terrified look was present on her face. She knew _exactly_ how the bunny was feeling.

"I'm still alive… I guess I should be grateful for that," Judy muttered, trying to sit up again. This time, Julia's paw halted her from getting up.

"Grateful? Maybe. Lucky? Definitely," the younger hyena said. "Kat doesn't leave survivors, for you to get away, with… as little damage as you did, you are extremely lucky."

"Well I don't _feel_ particularly lucky," Judy snarled, crossing her arms.

"I'm going to change your bandages and check for infection. And I have some painkillers," Julia said, setting a bottle onto the nightstand. "Do you think she broke any bones?"

"No… no it's all just flesh wounds," Judy grunted, relaxing a bit as Julia tugged at the bandage around her ear. She was looking forward to the painkillers. Maybe then she could move on her own again. She felt incredibly weak, being unable to move at all.

"Did… did you scream for her?" Julia asked softly, holding up the rabbit's damaged ear and checking it carefully. Not seeing any sign of infection, she rewrapped it in a fresh bandage. Then she started on the gauze around Judy's torso.

"How… how did you know?" the rabbit asked, raising an eyebrow, wincing when Julia's paw ran over one of her more… tender areas.

"Oh, that's how she operates. If you refuse to scream for her, she'll break something. You don't have any broken bones… so you must've screamed for her," the hyena all but whispered.

"I did," Judy grunted. "She was going to tear my ear off… I couldn't hold it in. Julia… she said that she had… _done_ something to Wolfgang. That his fear… was her fault." She wasn't entirely sure if Julia was aware or not of Wolfgang's fear.

"I figured as such," Julia sighed, nodding to herself as she once again saw no infection. Seeing most of the wounds had closed nicely already, she saw no need to rewrap the area in gauze. "She's gotten to most of us at one point or another. Sometimes she's just frisky, like with Wolfgang… other times…"

"You too?"

"Almost. I was luckier than you were, I suppose. She was just feeling frisky," the hyena chuckled. "But Wolfgang came along before it could escalate into anything… too violent."

"He said he taught you how to deal with her," Judy said, letting a sharp hiss through her teeth as air hit the wound on her thigh. It didn't look good.

"I know a little bit of self-defense, nowhere near as much as Wolfgang does, but enough to deal with Kat," Julia explained. "Yeah, this doesn't look good. But… it doesn't look infected either. I'll clean it, just to be sure, hold on."

Judy let out a loud sigh as she relaxed again on the bed, Julia padding out of the room. Shenzi stood still for a few moments before taking a seat on the bed next to Judy. She looked unsure of herself for a good minute before she leaned down and took the tiny bunny's paw in her own. "Shenzi?" the rabbit asked, looking up at the hyena.

"I always found having s-something to hold onto after one of Mean Lion's sessions c-comforting," she explained. "You look too hurt to hug, otherwise I'd do that. I know what it's like to be t-too hurt to h-hug too."

"Thanks, Shenzi," Judy sighed, reveling in the contact between her and the hyena. She felt safer in her paws. But her words still stung, reminding her that even _after_ her experience with Kat, she _still_ didn't understand what Shenzi had gone through.

"It's okay to c-cry, you know," Shenzi said softly. "I always cried a l-lot whenever Mean Lion… t-touched and c-clawed me down there." Her eyes closed as her paw tightened around Judy's.

"I know it's okay," Judy sighed. _I can't cry. Crying means I've broken, and if I'm broke, then she wins,_ she growled internally. She had survived, and she was thankful for that. Now she just wanted this weakness gone. "What I just… don't _understand_ is why. Why would anyone do this to someone?!"

"M-Mean Lion hurt me b-because I made mistakes. I needed to be p-punished for my m-mistakes!" Shenzi whimpered softly.

"You're wrong, sister," Julia's voice sounded from the doorway, causing both the rabbit and the hyena to look up at her. She was carrying a small bottle of rubbing alcohol and a few cotton swabs. "That son of a bitch hurt you to hurt you. He was just trying to make you suffer."

Judy bounced upwards a bit as Julia collapsed onto the bed next to Shenzi. She popped the top of the rubbing alcohol and poured a bit onto one of the cotton swabs. "Kat was trying to break you. That's what she does. She takes everything from you, cracking you bit by bit, piece by piece, until you're nothing more than a sobbing mess. Then she uses you. Uses you until she's bored, then she kills you. _That's_ the difference between sister's tormentor and yours. Her former contractor was never out to kill her… but Kat is the devil. She only wants to destroy," Julia growled as she rubbed the cotton swab across Judy's thigh.

The rabbit groaned from the contact, Julia wasn't exactly being gentle. "Sister's former contractor just wanted her to suffer, and Kat just wanted to hear you scream. There is no _real reason_ , there is no _why!_ " she snarled before grabbing the gauze again.

"She was more than just a little frisky when she got to you… wasn't she?" Judy asked quietly. There had to be an explanation for the younger hyena's outburst, and that was the only one that made sense.

"I don't want to talk about it," Julia growled, tightening the gauze hard, causing Judy to flinch. "I got you some water too." She finally handed Judy a few of the painkillers as well as a bottle of water. Judy downed the pills as quickly as she could, gulping down as much of the bottle of water as she possibly could.

"Fine," Judy sighed, laying back down. She was starting to feel better, and the fresh bandages were helping. And she was suddenly hungry. "Do you think you could fetch me lunch? I don't particularly feel like moving…"

"Actually, Wolfgang's requested your presence for lunch," Julia explained, crossing her arms.

"I don't really wanna deal with him. Can't you just bring me lunch and I can skip Wolfgang until I'm feeling better?" the rabbit groaned.

"As much as I understand and would love to say 'yes ma'am,' I'm afraid I can't do that. You really need to yell some sense into him, god knows I've tried," the hyena growled.

"You yelled at him?" Judy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well… yeah…" Julia admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. "I was pretty pissed that he just left you here alone all day, argument or not. Like, I get that he has _feelings_ now, but leaving you alone here when he _knew_ that his sister was going to be around? Come the fuck on!"

"Wait… he _knew_ that his sister was going to be around?" Judy snarled, narrowing her eyes.

"Well… he probably had a hunch," Julia admitted. "But he tried to blame me, of all mammals!"

Judy breathed out through her nose, trying to calm herself. Julia's speculations on what Wolfgang might've had a theory on weren't proof that he knew Kat would be lurking about. "Does he know about you and… your sister?" she asked.

"Uh… I don't think so," the hyena said. "Oh… hmm… that's probably something I should've told him. I've _never_ told him about my family before. Huh…"

"If he did _know_ about Kat, then he probably assumed that I would be staying with you. He said something like that last night… but he tried to pin the blame on me, not you," Judy sighed.

"Well I see it now, he's being a jerk," Julia growled. "In any case… you really should go and talk to him. Try and smooth things over. I've never seen him _this_ angry for _this_ long."

"Fine… but I still can't walk. And I don't have anything to wear," Judy crossed her arms, desperate to not leave this room. No matter how right Julia was, the rabbit still didn't want to talk to the wolf.

"I think I've got both of those covered," the hyena chuckled.

XXX

Judy couldn't help the small blush on her face as Shenzi carried her towards the dining room. Julia had given her a low-cut, blue dress to wear, far too revealing for the rabbit, but she had little choice in the matter. She couldn't even dress herself, the two hyenas had to help.

Julia led the way to the dining room, keeping a sharp eye out for Kat, knowing that she was up and about, despite taking two bullets to the chest just the night before. But they made it to the dining room safely, without even seeing a tuft of gray fur.

The two hyenas padded into the dining room, breathing a small sigh of relief upon seeing Wolfgang sitting at the head of the table, as he always did, sipping from a glass of wine. The moment they entered, he turned his head to face them, cold stare piercing Judy's soul. So she refused to look at him. He was back in his typical suit attire.

Shenzi carried Judy over to the seat next to Wolfgang, but the white wolf stood and walked passed the hyena, heading towards Julia, who had not moved from the entrance. "Miss Hyena, thank you for bringing her," he said, a clear bite in his tone.

"Why do you always call her that?" Judy asked from her seat. Shenzi stood behind her chair, blocking her view of the white wolf, but he never turned around to address her. He completely ignored her question.

"I have made my decision regarding my sister. You are to chain her to her bed, and when mother dies, she will attend the funeral in pawcuffs," Wolfgang growled.

"Uh… right, yes sir," Julia nodded before turning on her heel and rushing out of the dining room. Wolfgang remained standing, glaring at her retreating form for a few moments longer before letting out a deep sigh and padding back towards his seat.

But he didn't sit. Instead, he turned towards Shenzi and motioned for her to sit down. The hyena was hesitant, but followed his gesture and took a seat next to Judy. It was silent for another few awkward minutes, until he asked the hyena, "What would you like for lunch?"

Judy blinked a few times before realizing he was doing his best to ignore her. _What the hell is going on? He asked me here to ignore me?_ she furrowed her eyebrows. None of this made any sense. "O-oh… I uh… I don't know," Shenzi said quickly, flinching as he addressed her.

Wolfgang continued to give her the same cold look. "I cannot act on that," he said.

"A-act on what?"

"You have not given me an answer. You simply said you did not know," he explained. "I assume you want options? Imagine that you could have anything in the world… what would you want?"

"A-anything?" Shenzi echoed before thinking hard. "Anything… well… my f-favorite leftover was always h-hamburger… I g-guess…" she managed to stutter out.

"Then it shall be done," he mumbled, mostly to himself. He walked towards the kitchen, ignoring both Judy and the fact the hyena had said _leftover_. No doubt to get Shenzi the hamburger she desired.

Judy grumbled to herself as she tried to get comfortable on her chair. She still wasn't sure what was going on. Shenzi, who had been quivering up until this point, seemed to relax the moment Wolfgang had left the room.

Judy glared hard at the table as she struggled to even sit up straight, scowl etched deep into her face. "Nice Carrots?" Shenzi asked, breaking the silence, and drawing Judy's attention towards her.

"Yes?" Judy let out a sigh. It didn't look like Julia would be coming back. So it was just her and Shenzi with Wolfgang. While she took comfort in the hyena's presence, she knew that, if the white wolf decided to actually acknowledge her existence, and they got into another argument, at least Julia would jump to her defense.

"Why is Mean Wolf being so… mean?" Shenzi asked, scratching the back of her neck. She still wasn't quite sure what was going on, this was all so confusing for her. The Mean Wolf had offered her food… but seemed so angry at Nice Carrots. Was he being nice or mean? She couldn't tell…

"You answered your own question there, he's an asshole," Judy grumbled, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her seat.

"B-but… it doesn't make any sense," Shenzi whispered, mostly to herself, though Judy was easily able to hear her. Even with one of her ears as damaged as it was, it was still working properly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I mean… he sounded like he really likes you lots the other day! Now he's being so… mean," the hyena explained. "And… I know that Banzai was always so happy whenever I survived a session with Mean Lion when he touched me… down there… and I know that Banzai likes me lots too… why isn't Mean Wolf being like Banzai?"

"He does more than like me lots," Judy mumbled. "I don't know, Shenzi… I don't know why he's being so mean." _And ignoring me completely,_ she grumbled internally.

"Do you think he's upset because he made a mistake?" Shenzi asked.

Judy blinked a few times. That made a remarkable amount of sense, surprisingly. "What… what do you mean by that?" she asked quietly.

"Well… I mean… whenever Banzai cried after I was… you know… he told me it was tears of happiness because I was okay… but sometimes he seemed so sad. Like… he was upset about something," the hyena explained. "But I could never figure out why…"

"He's more of angry than upset," Judy snorted. "He's angry at me."

"But that doesn't make sense… why would he be angry at you? You're nice!" Shenzi asked, still a bit confused. She had forgotten the fight she had witness the other day. "I think he's upset that he let… uh… _that_ happen to you."

"Yeah right," Judy grunted. "It doesn't matter if I'm nice or not… _Wolfgang_ thinks I've made a mistake."

"But Nice Carrots! You don't make mistakes! Only I make mistakes… that's why I get shocked," Shenzi said, furrowing her brows.

"Mistakes are natural, Shenzi. Everyone makes them, even me," Judy explained, fidgeting in her seat. It was important that Shenzi understood this, otherwise she'd never get better. _Maybe not running immediately_ _ **was**_ _stupid,_ she sighed internally. _Doesn't give him the right to be angry, though._ "And so does Nick and even… even Wolfgang."

"Then why don't you and Nice Fox have collars? Or Mean Wolf?" the hyena asked, trying to process what the rabbit was saying. It didn't make any sense to her. Mistakes meant being shocked…

Judy gulped, how was she supposed to answer that? The murder she had committed flashed through her mind. She had _killed someone_ … she probably _should_ be wearing a collar. "I guess it doesn't work like that," she grumbled. "We don't just strap collars to everyone who makes mistakes… otherwise everyone would be wearing collars."

"Oh, I get it… you're nice. Collars aren't for nice animals!" Shenzi replied, smile gracing her muzzle as she understood. Though… that didn't explain why Mean Wolf and Mean Lion didn't have collars…

"I don't know about that. Sometimes even the government makes a mistake and puts a collar on a nice animal, like you," Judy sighed. "And sometimes they completely ignore the ones who deserve it."

"Am I a mistake?" Shenzi asked, trying to clear up her thoughts. She thought she understood, but all of this was new to her! No one had ever told her that she _wasn't_ supposed to be wearing a collar. New things were so confusing.

"Yeah… they really fucked up with you," Judy explained before letting out a short chuckle. She was starting to sound like Nick.

"They fucked up with the entire idea," Wolfgang's voice sounded from the door to the kitchen. He stood there, glaring at Judy, balancing two plates on one paw and a bowl in the other. Both plates had rather large hamburgers on them, while the bowl was full of salad. "Did you imply that I should be wearing a collar?"

"Oh great, are you done ignoring me?" Judy immediately replied, returning his glare. She did notice however, that he had gotten her a salad anyways.

"Answer my question," he growled, walking towards the table carefully as to not drop the food.

"No… no I didn't," she answered with a sigh. She let out a groan before shifting in her seat, her injuries making sitting uncomfortable. _Well, you should be,_ she growled internally.

Wolfgang set the bowl in front of Judy before placing one of the hamburgers in front of Shenzi. The hyena let out a small sound of gratitude before digging into her food as the white wolf walked back over to his seat at the head of the table, collapsing into his chair with a loud sigh. "Don't lie to me, Judy," he growled after a moment's hesitation.

"Why would I lie to you?" Judy snorted in return.

"I cannot trust you anymore, you've been corrupted," he growled. "Don't lie to me, Judy… did you, or did you not imply that I should be wearing a collar?"

"What do you mean, corrupted?" Judy asked, glazing over his question, knowing he wouldn't appreciate the truth.

"Officer Wilde has gotten to you somehow… he has given you hope for escape once more. We've gone over this," he hissed.

"Nick is my best friend, thank you very much," Judy retorted. "And he didn't give me anything other than the comfort that I needed. I'm not delusional."

"You've forgotten what you said to me… what I said to you. You very much are delusional, if that is what has happened," he said, eyes widening.

"I didn't forget what you said!" she exclaimed. "But you sure haven't reflected on your own words."

He raised an eyebrow at her statement. "My words? If I remember correctly, I made a rational assessment of your 'friend' officer Wilde, and came to the conclusion that he was too dangerous for you to be around," he growled. "Then you went and _proved_ my point!"

"Proved your point? How did I prove your point?"

"You haven't reflected on your words either, I see," he smirked slightly. "I had said that he corrupted you and you responded by immediately fighting my decision, throwing all of your hatred at me."

"Because he's my best friend! How is wanting to see him an example of him corrupting me?!"

"You are still blind to reason, I see," he gave her a cold look, amber eyes hardening into a glare. "You _have_ forgotten what you've said."

"No I haven't! I remember what I said, I said I would never love you! Don't you think I've got reason to say that?" she demanded. "Especially after you took away my best friend?!"

He flinched as the words left her mouth, his eyes shut tight as he bared his teeth. And then the anger just seemed to vanish as he opened his eyes. "Of course you have a reason, and that's the problem. I had started to believe that you yourself had forgotten that reason," he all but whispered. "Until officer Wilde reminded you."

"Why would I _ever_ forget that you kidnapped me?" she growled, though she had lowered her voice significantly.

"Maybe forget is the wrong word. I had started to believe you had found it irrelevant, due to our situation," he sighed. "Or maybe you had decided to look past it."

"But why? Why would I ever look past it?" she asked, crossing her arms.

He tensed, shutting his eyes again. "Our night in Paris… the morning after. Maybe I wrongly believed you had done more than just come to the conclusion that it was necessary," he hissed, eyes popping open to glare at her. "Maybe there was something there. I guess I was wrong."

Judy said nothing, only looking down at her feet. She was beginning to understand where he was coming from, curse his silver tongue. _I guess Shenzi was right… he is upset, he's just masking it with anger,_ she sighed to herself. _Still doesn't justify his actions or his behavior._

"I built a wall around my heart and kept it closely guarded all my life, but I let you in, Judy," he said softly, still glaring at her. "I fell for you like a fool and expected you to love me back. But you just stabbed me. And despite that, I'm _enraged_ at myself for letting you nearly die. You have me _so trapped_ in your little spell that, even as you sit here and sink the dagger just a little bit deeper, I can _barely even be angry at you_."

"Oh," the rabbit said quietly. "Is that an apology for abandoning me?"

He paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully. "Yes, it is. I am deeply sorry I abandoned you. I didn't realize you would go off and do something so _profoundly stupid_ as nearly getting raped by sister. But I'm still the idiot, apparently," he grumbled.

 _Well… it doesn't sound like it's getting any better than that,_ she grumbled to herself. "Fine, I would've liked something a little less sarcastic, but yes. You still are the idiot," she smirked slightly. "I guess that's a first for you."

He returned her smirk, however. "Or maybe you're the fool here," he chuckled.

"Why is that? Because I won't love you back?" Judy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You had a wonderful opportunity. If I truly am as enamored with you as I believe I am, then revealing that you could never love me back was the biggest mistake you could ever make," he grinned, shaking his head. "You could've changed my mind… you could've changed my mind about anything. But you blew it."

 _Of course he's going to try and_ _ **twist**_ _this in his favor,_ she grumbled internally. But she cocked her head and asked nonetheless, "Do you remember the conversation we had a few days ago? I was even more resolute about hating you then than I am now… but I still told you anything was possible. Because it is fact."

He shook his head a resounding no. "You're untrustworthy now and I will not be played a fool a second time," he growled. "That bullshit is exactly what got me into this mess in the first place, why would you think it would work a second time?"

"How am I less trustworthy? Why would I try to trick you?" she asked softly.

"I've already answered both of those questions. No matter what you say, I still believe your 'friend' has corrupted you. And you've already tricked me once, I won't let you do it again."

"I didn't trick you and I haven't been corrupted! I'm still the same bunny, nothing's changed! If you really aren't going to let me see Nick, then any hope you _think_ he _may_ have given me will fade as weeks turn into months and months into years and I realize, once again, that I'm stuck here in this life with you," she snarled. "My partner, whether I like it or not. What do you think's going to happen then?"

"I don't know," he admitted quietly. "So you are going to accept that you cannot see your 'friend' anymore?"

"After a few months? Probably. And if we keep…" she trailed off her ears dropping behind her head. "Yeah, I don't really have a choice."

"I guess that's all I can hope for. I had thought I won you over in Paris, but I guess I was wrong," he snorted. Though he did wonder where she was going when she trailed off, but he didn't press.

Judy looked up at him, contemplating what he had said. "You know what I did in Paris… why did I do that?" she asked softly.

"Why _did_ you do that?" he echoed. "You could've chosen to walk away and there was nothing I could've done at the time. That's why… that's why I had thought otherwise. I gave you ample opportunity to make your own choice. And you chose to help me."

A frown graced her face as she tapped her foot against the side of the chair. "But why? Why _didn't_ I walk away?" she repeated herself. _Was it really…_

"Do you regret it?" he asked, looking down at the table. "What you did for me… if you don't regret it, then clearly… deep down… there was some reason for staying."

"Do I regret it?" she whispered. "I don't know… what if I don't?"

Her words caused his ear to flick and a small smile to spread across his face. "Then perhaps you do love me, even if you do not wish to admit it… but that's just a thought from the fool," he chuckled. "I want you to tell me with _absolute certainty_ that you regret what you did. Tell me that you should have never done what you did. You had a choice, and you made it… do you regret that choice?"

Judy looked down at her lap, a whole flurry of emotions suddenly raging in her mind. Her immediate thought was to shout out, _of course I fucking regret it!_ But she caught herself before she could scream it to the heavens. But a new thought entered her mind.

 _It felt_ _ **so fucking good**_. That was a fact she couldn't deny. Nor could she deny the fact that she was a bunny. Even if she had done her best ignoring it as she grew up, she had to admit that her biology was against her. Her body was constantly _screaming_ at her to have sex, the fact that she had ignored it for so long was admirable.

But there was that _tiny_ voice in the back of her mind that said, _maybe you do love him._ The mere fact that thought had managed to gain enough traction in her mind for her to even consider it a possibility made her shiver. Though that ring around her finger was starting to feel natural…

 _No,_ the thought reverberated in her mind. Maybe she couldn't remember _why_ she had gone through with it, nor could she find the courage to tell him with absolute certainty that she regretted her actions, but she _definitely_ didn't love him. _Not yet,_ she sighed internally. "I can't tell you that… I don't know. And I guess if I don't know… then I guess I don't truly regret it," she sighed. "Even if I don't know why."

"I suppose it wouldn't help if I said _I_ didn't regret it," he chuckled. He saw the panic flash across her face, and realized what she was thinking. "Then again… I'm not sure if I'd do it again if given the chance."

She rolled her eyes. _Of course… but is that a good thing… or a bad thing?_ she wondered. "Why is that? Don't tell me you're still scared!" she smirked. "If you're still scared, then what I did didn't work… so maybe I _should_ regret it…"

"No!" he retorted immediately, before clearing his throat. "I mean… no, I'm not scared. At least I don't think so."

"Good, you better not be," she said, crossing her arms.

"Why do you care?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What? I told you, if I didn't cure you, then I'd regret what I did."

"But the point of us having sex was to seal our marriage. If your goal was to cure my fear, then that implies that you want it to happen again. And the fact that you're so adamant about regretting it if you failed, only cements the idea in my mind that you indeed…"

"Fine, okay, I do!" she all but shouted, glaring at him. "Even when I'm _still_ angry at you for abandoning me… _and_ when you won't let me see Nick!"

"Well… that's good to know," he grinned. "While I will not be reversing my order to keep you away from officer Wilde, I do feel awful about abandoning you."

"Well you should," she growled, crossing her arms, and sinking into her seat. She still had yet to touch her salad, mostly because she couldn't reach it. And she didn't want to move too much, lest she inflame her injuries.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, giving her a concerned look.

"Horrible, it hurts even to sit," she admitted. "Those painkillers Julia gave me haven't kicked in yet."

"It hurts to sit?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like a bitch," Judy growled, shifting in her seat, causing her to wince from her own movements. Wolfgang was quiet as he watched Judy try and get comfortable in her chair. It was difficult to watch those flashes of pain go across her face, so much so that his ears flattened against his head and he grimaced each time she moved.

Finally, after a minute of her adjusting herself, trying to get comfortable, he couldn't take it anymore. With a loud sigh, he reached over the table and grasped her gently with his paws. She gave him an odd look, bordering between confused and annoyed, and asked, "What are you doing?"

He didn't answer her verbally, instead he silently picked her up and set her on his lap. She let out a sound of protest, but as she tried to struggle out of his grasp, she found that his lap was astronomically more comfortable than the poorly padded chair she had been sitting in. She blinked a few times as she shifted, the pain she had been feeling now greatly reduced, and let out a sigh, "Fine, I guess this works."

He let out a soft chuckle as she leaned against his chest, letting out a sigh of relief. He reached over the table once again, his movements sparking some protest from Judy, though they didn't hurt her. He grabbed the salad he had brought for her and set it in front of her. Now that she was on his lap, she could actually see over the table. She pulled the bowl just a bit closer to her and accepted the fork Wolfgang handed to her.

Suddenly feeling extremely hungry, she dug into her salad, doing her best to ignore the fact that the white wolf had wrapped his arms around her. She ate in relative peace, suddenly conscious of the fact that she was _extremely_ comfortable on Wolfgang's lap. Despite what she had admitted earlier, she couldn't feel anything pressing against her rear. _At least he has restraint,_ she noted, though she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Feeling heat pooling in her center, she couldn't help but bite her lip as she grinded against his crotch, wondering if she could get a reaction from him. Several moments passed where she not-so-subtly grinded against him, and yet she wasn't able to get a reaction from him. Furrowing her brow in confusion, she pressed herself as hard as she could against his groin.

Little did she know, Wolfgang was staring at her in confusion the entire time, wondering what the hell she was doing. Only when she felt his burning gaze on the back of her head did she stop, the sudden realization of what she was trying to do breaking through her lust-filled mind. _What the hell is wrong with me?!_ she managed to wonder before she felt the haze start to descend over her mind again, instinct screaming at her to beg him to fuck her.

She shut her eyes tightly and clenched her paws into fists, her ears dropping behind her head as she fought her mental battle against her instincts. _How did placing me on his lap get me so aroused?_ she growled internally as she fought against her urge. _Think of how he abandoned you! Think of how he won't let you see Nick! Think of how comfortable his lap is! No… wait…_

"Are you all right?" his voice caused her eyes to snap open. She craned her neck upwards to look at him. He stared at her with concern dancing in his eyes, immediately making her melt. _Fuck, he_ _ **cares**_ _about me,_ she grumbled internally. It was difficult to stay angry, especially when she was still so aroused.

But she refrained from blurting out the truth. Instead, she managed to say, "Do I look all right? Your sister did a real number on me."

"Oh," he growled, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If it makes you feel any better… I've decided that I'm putting her down after mother dies."

"Actually, that does make me feel better. The world would be better off without its nutcases and serial killers," she growled. _Crisis averted,_ she sighed to herself.

"And killing them is the right answer. My, my, you're really taking to my side of the fence with this one, aren't you?" he asked, grin stretching across his face, though she was no longer looking up at him to see.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, picking at what remained of her salad.

"I remember when you first came here you were so appalled by the very notion of killing anyone… now look at you. If I gave you the opportunity, would you be willing to be the one to put her down?"

"There are a lot of shades of gray," she replied, skipping over his question. "But not here. Those who cause pain to innocents or underserving don't _belong_ in a world where the average animal only wants to achieve happiness."

"You didn't answer my question," he said, leaning forward, extremely interested in her answer. "Would you kill her if I asked you to?"

"I don't know," Judy sighed. "Not if you could do it. But… if I were the only one who could ever kill her… I would."

"I will not ask you to kill her… that is _my_ burden to bear. But after what she did to you… after what she's done to the world, you _would_ pull the trigger if the opportunity was presented to you?" he asked.

"I would," Judy grunted. She felt the slightest twinge as she accepted her role as a potential executioner, but she took solace in the fact that even the most nonviolent animal would put Kat down if they knew what she had done. Even Clawhauser or Gazelle would put Kat down if she had done to them what she had done to Judy. But Judy wasn't sure if she should be proud or ashamed that _she_ was the reason Wolfgang was finally snapping and putting that devil down.

"You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that," the white wolf let out a deep sigh. "But I will not be killing her until mother is dead. Until then, because, although I am still _deeply_ regretful for abandoning you, I cannot stay with you twenty-four-seven, you will not be left alone… Miss Hyena will keep you company and protect you when I cannot."

Deep down, Judy was immensely relieved to hear those words from Wolfgang's mouth. Though, now that she thought about it, she would rather _him_ stay with her twenty-four-seven, Julia would be a good substitute. But she couldn't help but ask, once again, "Why do you call her that?"

"Hmm?"

"Julia. You keep calling her 'Miss Hyena.' Why do you call her that?"

"Oh… habit, I guess. Mother got particularly upset when she thought Miss Hyena was cozying up to me, as she was supposed to be nothing more than a slave. She would shock Miss Hyena for minutes on end until I convinced her there was nothing between us," he explained. "So I started calling her 'Miss Hyena' in public to prevent mother from ever catching on that we were actually good friends."

"Now when you say 'friends…'"

"We grew up together," Wolfgang chuckled. "I've known her since we were thirteen. Although we had vastly different experiences growing up, I like to think I made things as normal as possible for her. At least relative to our other servants…"

Judy couldn't help but snort. "So why _didn't_ you pick her? Surely that would have been easier than kidnapping someone and forcing them to marry you," she asked.

He could only shrug. "Perhaps," was the only thing he said. "Now then…"

Judy cocked her head. "What?" she asked, wondering why he was suddenly switching the subject.

With a small smirk, he gently cupped her chin and tilted it up before leaning down and planting a kiss on her lips. Her eyes widened in surprise as he pulled back with a wide grin. "I have work to do and mother is getting worse and worse. Is there anything else you wish from me?" he asked.

Judy blinked a few times. _I didn't expect that!_ she thought to herself. "Oh… er… not really," she managed to say, blush spreading across her cheeks. He had caught her off-guard, but she couldn't be angry at him.

"Then I shall be away until tonight. Stay with Miss Shenzi and have her help you find Miss Hy-… Julia. Stay with her until dinner," he said softly. Judy nodded slowly as he stood, setting her on the table, and padded towards the exit.

She couldn't help but shift in mild pain, immediately missing the warmth and comfort his lap had provided. Before he could leave the dining room, however, she cleared her throat and shouted, "See you tonight!" He paused at the exit and nodded, not trusting his voice, before leaving, smile gracing his lips.

XXX

Shenzi carried Judy back to her room carefully, as if she was afraid of dropping the injured rabbit. Julia was waiting for them as they made it back to Judy's room, lying on her back on the bed, humming to herself. But the moment the door opened and shut, she sat up to address the bunny. "Hey Judy, how ya feeling?" the younger hyena asked.

Shenzi slowly set Judy on her bed, helping the rabbit get comfortable. Judy pulled the blankets tight over her laying form, letting out a content sigh. "Stiff and sore," she replied.

"Ah, yeah that sounds about right. Well, you don't need to worry about his sister at the moment. Even if she could free herself, I'm here with you," Julia smiled softly. "I would highly recommend some rest, though. You won't be able to take any more painkillers until a few hours from now."

"Rest sounds wonderful, though I do feel quite a bit better than I did this morning," Judy yawned loudly. She didn't want to admit that Wolfgang was more comfortable than the bed was. Or that his lips against hers had sent warmth through her veins, relieving some of the aching and the soreness.

Now she understood the 'fire' he had been talking about. It soothed, it healed, and it gave energy, all it needed was tinder. And with how much she was hurting, she was willing to feed the fire. _Now, if only Wolfgang was here…_

"Well that's a plus," Julia nodded. "I am a bit worried about your leg, though. I'm not a doctor, but I've been patching up Wolfgang since he started fencing. Your injuries aren't much worse than his usually are, but that wound on your leg looks pretty bad."

"It's what hurts the most, I can tell you that," Judy groaned. "But you said it didn't look infected."

"It doesn't. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep an eye on it," the hyena explained.

"Yeah, sure, of course," Judy yawned again.

"So, um…" Julia started, laying down next to Judy. Shenzi still sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the two of them, waiting for them to tell her what to do. "How did lunch with Wolfgang go?"

Judy was silent as she thought about that seemingly simple question. "I guess… I guess I forgave him," she finally sighed. "He apologized, sort of… and we talked… and…"

"And what?"

"And he loves me, what more can I say?" Judy grumbled. "It's so _difficult_ to stay angry at him!"

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Julia chuckled. "He tells you exactly what you need to hear to get you to forget _why_ you're angry at him. The more and more he uses his silver tongue, the more and more you want him to use that tongue for something else."

Judy snorted in agreement. "The problem is that I know _why_ I'm angry at him… he just convinced me that it would be easier if I forgave him. I mean, I know it's terrible, but I figure if I at least return his affections, he might let me see Nick," she sighed.

It was only the partial truth. The whole truth was that Nick was coming for her the moment his mother died. It would be… easier if the two of them got along until that happened. She wasn't sure how Nick planned to save her, but she _really_ didn't want to have to use that little gun Nick gave her. All she had to do was smile and think of Nick.

"Maybe," Julia shrugged. "I won't tell you what choices to make, Judy… but I can't really lie to you and say you'd be able to change his mind. He seems pretty dead-set on not letting you see Nick."

"It wouldn't happen immediately, but I think I can wear him down," Judy grinned. "After all, I won't lie to you either… and I'd like for him to use his tongue for something other than talking as well."

Julia stared at her for a moment before snickering loudly. "Well, I wish you luck. He's a tough one to crack, but then again, no one's ever tried to use sex to bargain with him before," she grinned.

"Thanks, I'll need it," Judy sighed before letting out yet another yawn. "I think I'm going to take a nap."

"Goodnight. I'll wake you to give you more pills and to check your bandages," the hyena said, watching the rabbit pull the covers over her head and roll over, facing away from her. Julia let out a soft sigh before laying down as well, her sister crawling over next to her.

"What are we going to do… J-J-J… sister?" Shenzi asked.

"I guess we're going to take a nap," Julia sighed, shutting her eyes.

"Oh… uh… okay."

XXX

The sun had fallen and the moon had risen to its highest point by the time Wolfgang opened the door to his own room. He rolled his eyes at the sight he saw before him, three animals asleep on his bed. Two of which shouldn't be there. He shut the door softly, not wanting to wake up Judy, and walked further into the room, stripping off his suit jacket as he went.

He tossed the article aside as he reached the side of the bed. He glared at the two hyenas sleeping soundly, hoping his glare would be enough to wake one of them up. He stood there for a full minute before letting out a loud sigh. "Julia," he hissed, grabbing her shoulder, and shaking her gently.

"No, Wolfy, lower," she groaned, shutting her eyes tighter, and rolling over in her sleep, pressing herself harder against her sister. Wolfgang rolled his eyes and was half-tempted to clap his paws together as loudly as possible to wake her up, but he still didn't want to wake Judy.

"Julia," he repeated, just a bit louder. He once again grabbed her shoulder and shook her, though he was much rougher this time.

"Only true love's kiss can wake the sleeping beauty," she mumbled, pulling the covers tighter over herself. Though Wolfgang could still see the slightest smirk rising on her muzzle, causing him to roll his eyes even harder.

"Then we'd be here all night. The only sleeping beauty here I see is Judy," he snorted.

Her eyes opened slowly as she turned to glare at him. "That's not very nice. You can't at least admit I'm beautiful?" she asked, rolling over to face him completely. Her jostling caused Shenzi to wake, letting out a small groan as she turned to see why Julia was moving.

"No. Get up," he grinned, though he added as an afterthought, "Please."

"Fine," she let out a loud yawn before throwing the covers off her form. She stood, scratching the back of her neck, as she glared at Wolfgang through bleary eyes. Shenzi, confused as to what her sister was doing, stood as well.

"I will stay with her for the rest of the night. Since you decided to sleep all day, you should be well-rested enough to do those chores I had let you skip out on," he said, crossing his arms.

Julia let out a deep groan but shook her head and padded towards the door. "Whatever. Come on, sis, let's do our chores," she grumbled as Shenzi followed behind her, small smile rising on her face. She loved working with her sister, even if they were just chores.

"Sister?" Wolfgang asked, staring at Julia as she opened the door and walked through it.

"Yeah, didn't Judy tell ya?" the hyena grinned before shutting the door before giving him anything else.

The white wolf stared at the door blankly for a few seconds, trying to decide if Julia was just messing with him. Deciding that she was telling the truth, after all, she and Shenzi did look remarkably alike. Then again, the only other hyena he had ever seen was Janja. Shrugging to himself and affirming that he didn't really care, he climbed into bed and pulled the covers over himself.

His shifting caused Judy to stir from her slumber. Her eyes opened slowly as she stretched and let out a yawn. She rolled over to see what had jostled her from her sleep, growling, "Oh jeez… what is it?" as she went, her eyes still half closed.

"Just me," Wolfgang's deep voice brought her further out of her slumber. Her ears perked up when she heard his voice and her eyes widened slightly when she spotted his amber eyes staring at her. "You missed dinner."

"Oh… did I? Whoops. I was just so tired," she explained. "Where have you been?"

"I've been with mother. She's… I don't think she's going to make it through the night," he sighed.

"That's a real shame," Judy snorted. She shook her head, trying to relieve her grogginess.

"I wouldn't think so. And I know you don't think so either. Another horrible mammal gone from the world, right?"

"Yeah… I guess so," she replied hesitantly before letting out another yawn. "Oh… Julia was supposed to give me more pills and check my leg when we woke up."

"Oh, I can do that," he said, rolling out of bed. He patted the edge of the bed, silently asking her to come closer. She did so slowly as he dug through his end table, looking for the pills Julia had stashed there this morning.

She let out a short hiss as she let her legs dangle off the side of the bed, her wounds still stung quite a bit. Wolfgang poured a few of the pills into his paw and offered them to Judy. "Can you dry swallow them, or do you want me to go and get you a glass of water?" he asked softly.

"I can swallow them dry," she muttered, taking the pills from his paw and popping them into her mouth. She gulped them down, making a face as she did so. Taking pills was always so much easier with water.

As she took the pills, Wolfgang slowly unwrapped the medical gauze from around her leg to give her wound another look. He tossed the dirty bandages aside, making a mental note to have Julia dispose of them properly later, as he gently turned her leg to the side to inspect the damage. "Judy…" he said slowly, trailing off.

"What? Is it bad?" she asked immediately, panicking at the thought of possibly having to amputate her leg. The exhaustion she had felt before melted away in place of the panic.

"Your leg is fine, Judy. It's healing nicely, but we should probably keep it covered for at least a few more days," he chuckled at her panic. He rummaged through the end table again, producing the roll of medical tape once more.

"Don't scare me like that!" she growled, punching him as hard as she could on his shoulder as he leaned down to bandage her leg. He chuckled and rolled his shoulder, just a bit surprised by the force behind her punch.

They lapsed into silence as he wrapped her leg again. She watched him with a stiff frown on her face, and he didn't look at her, concentrating on his work instead. A myriad of thoughts invaded her mind, causing her to stop focusing on him and her mind to wander. Her eyes began to drift from his face, down to his chest, and finally down to his groin.

She couldn't help but lick her lips as she thought of the treasure that was contained within his pants. She could feel the heat pooling in her stomach as she continued to stare, not noticing when he finished wrapping her leg and stood to put the pills and the gauze back into the end table.

She stared at the spot where he had been kneeling for a few seconds longer before she let out a sigh. _Why do I need him so badly?_ she wondered to herself as she rolled back over into her spot. But she continued to face Wolfgang as he shut the drawer and climbed back into bed. Unbeknownst to her, he had been in deep thought as well, and his thoughts came to the surface as he shattered the silence with, "I need to know, Judy."

She raised an eyebrow as he lied back down, setting his head on the pillow with a loud sigh. "Know what?" she asked, more than a bit confused.

"These past few days have been… difficult, to say the least, and I know you agree. However… after our conversation this morning, one thought refuses to leave my mind," he explained. "Do you regret making me love you?"

The rabbit's eyes widened as she thought for a moment, before a smirk began to rise on her features. She wrapped her arms around Wolfgang's muzzle the best she could and pulled him closer to her, connecting their lips in a kiss of passion rivaling the one she had given him that night in Paris. As she kissed him, confusion began to well up within her.

 _What the hell am I doing? Why am I kissing him?_ she asked herself as she felt his tongue poke at her lips. She opened her mouth and touched his tongue with her own. His was too big to fit into her mouth, and hers was too small to get very far in his. So they settled on having them dance between their mouths. _Sex is one thing, but kissing is another,_ she thought as she pushed her tongue against his. But she couldn't bring herself to stop. Maybe she was hopeless when it came to feelings… but right now, it didn't matter.

He pulled back slowly, unable and unwilling to stop the fire that spread through his veins once again. "Is that an answer?" he asked softly, smirk rivaling her own on his face.

"Maybe," she shrugged, purposefully trying to be difficult.

"You're tough to crack today, aren't you?" he chuckled. "How am I supposed to operate if you don't give me a straight answer?"

"Maybe I'm not in the mood to give straight answers," she replied, her smirk widening.

"Not in the mood, huh?"

"No… not in the mood at all."

"Well, then… what would it take to put you in the mood?" he asked, his voice dropping even deeper, and his tone shifting to something she could only describe as sultry. His smirk quickly became devious as an idea popped into his head.

She only shrugged, "You tell me." His ear flicked as he heard those words, deciding that he did indeed want to go through with this. Suddenly, without warning, he wrapped his arm around her and dragged her closer to him. He pulled her against his chest and looked sown at her, wide grin still on his face.

"And what's the meaning of this?" she asked, smiling up at him. She could feel the heat pooling in her loins as she thought to herself, _I really need this._

He leaned down and licked her ear slowly. "If you will not divulge the information I seek… I will have to take it by force," he whispered, nibbling on the side of her undamaged ear gently.

She let out a gasp as she felt his teeth against her ear. Her first reaction was to panic, fearing that he would damage her ear like Kat did, but she remained calm and relaxed, giggling slightly as she felt his hot breath against her ear. "Is the big, strong wolf going to eat the precious, little bunny?" she asked.

"Only if she doesn't answer my question," the white wolf hissed before drawing her tongue across the inside of her ear. He slowly licked his way to the tip of her ear before he began to nibble on it again, only for her to drop her ears behind her head and away from him.

He gave her a concerned look, wondering if he went too far, only to be met with that same lustful haze glazing her eyes during their night in Paris. "She refuses to answer," she grinned, crossing her arms.

He blinked at her before a low growl bubbled up from his throat. He rolled over her, forcing her onto her back, and pinning her against the bed, teeth bared at her. "Then I guess I'm going to have to eat the precious, little bunny," he growled in mock anger.

But, before he did anything, he leaned back over to her ear to whisper, " _Are you absolutely sure?_ " It had only been a day since her _encounter_ with Kat, and he didn't want her to think that she _had_ to do this for him. He wanted her to want this as much as he did.

" _You bet your life on it,_ " she whispered back. She was grateful for the concern, but she wasn't some fragile, little bunny. Precious, yes… fragile, not a chance in hell.

The grin returned to his face as he bared his teeth again. She was still wearing the rather revealing blue dress, and he was still dressed in white button-up and slacks. But not for much longer. He gripped the dress with his teeth, despite the confused look he was getting from her, and _tore_ the dress off her body.

She let out a gasp of surprise as he tossed the torn dress to the side and turned back to grin at her. Because of her condition this morning, she hadn't put on any undergarments, so she was now bare before him. She didn't even have time to think as he connected their lips once again, before grasping her paws and pinning them above her head.

He pulled away from her lips and, without hesitating, began kissing at her neck. She let out a low groan at the sudden display of dominance from him, the fear that had been present in Paris completely gone from his form. As he began leaving a trail of hisses down her body, stopping briefly to lick at her chest, she couldn't stop the thought from gaining traction in her mind, _I could get used to this._

But her mind went blank as she felt his cold nose against her clit before he slowly ran his tongue across her womanhood. A loud moan tore from her throat, causing a grin to rise on his face in place of the previous look of concentration. "The precious, little bunny is delicious," he chuckled as he looked up at her.

She glared at him, _How dare he stop!_ "Shut up and eat me!" she growled as she tried to free her paws to grab his head and force it lower once again. He only chuckled again and complied with her wishes, pushing his muzzle against her slit again, lapping at her opening as he did.

She laid back as she did her best to enjoy the feeling of him teasing her clit before dragging his tongue across her folds once again. The wet appendage drawling across her most sensitive area felt amazing. _Completely_ different from what Kat had done to her just the other day. She reveled in that difference, knowing that Wolfgang would never hurt her. She _needed_ this.

Getting tired at just lapping at her opening, he pushed his tongue into her entrance, eliciting a loud moan from Judy. She grinded her hips against his face, begging him to force his tongue deeper into her core. He complied immediately, her scent and her taste starting to get to him, causing his mind to blank, the only thought remaining was to pleasure her.

A new idea entered his head at that moment, causing him to grin the best he could. He released her paws and they immediately found their way to his head, gripping his ears as she tried to force him even deeper within her. She continued to thrust her hips against his face, but what she didn't expect was for him to grab her hips and open his mouth.

She didn't immediately notice, but once she felt his teeth against her stomach, she began to panic. _Is he actually going to eat me?!_ she screamed internally as he pulled her farther into his maw. But that thought, and the panic that came with it, immediately vanished as she realized that his tongue could now reach as deep into her as it possibly could, rubbing against her cervix, causing her to shut her eyes tightly and practically scream in pleasure.

He felt her inner walls close around his tongue as she bucked her hips wildly. His sharp teeth cut into her skin, but the pain only added to her pleasure, sending her into a state of euphoria matching the one she had felt that night in Paris. But she eventually collapsed against his teeth, ignoring how they poked against her flesh as she sucked in deep breaths, still riding out her climax.

He slowly spat her out of his mouth before pulling his tongue from her center, the appendage covered in her juices. He pulled back to marvel at her panting form, licking his lips as he stared at her. "We aren't done yet," he growled, gripping his belt, and pulling it free. She grinned up at him as he stripped, still coming down from her high. She wanted to be ready for him, because she wasn't done yet either.

XXX

 **And there we go, yet another chapter down. A lot of good stuff here, but I'd first like to focus on why it took me so long to post this chapter.** ** _This chapter actively fought against me!_** **I have never had a chapter so difficult to write before, I'm half-tempted to rename the chapter 'the demon chapter.' Because that's what it was like. It was like fighting a demon.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all focused a bit on Julia this chapter. She was barely in it, as this chapter was more focused on Judy and Wolfgang, but some of the things Julia said were pretty interesting. Especially in the first part…**

 **Yes, Judy and Wolfgang successfully reconciled, though Judy is keeping the thought that Nick saving her is just around the corner in her mind. We start to see something important arise in this chapter. Specifically for Judy. She's… well, she's becoming addicted to sex. You can see it in that second section especially when just being set on Wolfy's lap is almost too much for her. And then of course, her ignoring her voice of reason and continuing to kiss Wolfy, enticing him to fuck her.**

 **In any case, I hope you enjoyed this lemon, it's going to be a little bit until we see another one (if that's why you started reading this story). It's more of a half lemon than a full one, but you got a taste of what Judy and Wolfy having sex was like in chapter ten, I just wanted to try something new. Keep it interesting and all. Like I said before, we're nearing the end of the arc. I wonder if Wolfy's mother will make it through the night? Stay tuned until next time to find out!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – Invincible, Indomitable, Infallible Wolfgang Fritz:

Author's Note:

 **I'm going to start off this chapter with a note to Medic once again! Glad you like the story! I'm not a religious person, but I do typically celebrate Easter with lots of candy. Also… on your** ** _third_** **review, your third point is pretty… on point, I guess is the best way to put it. I'd keep that thought in the back of your mind as the story progresses.**

 **Anyways, this is the final chapter in this arc. Don't worry, there's two more for you all to… hopefully enjoy. But, as many of you have predicted, Wolfy's mother is dead. And Nick has a chance to save Judy. I wonder how it'll go? Let's find out. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Nick sat on his couch staring mindlessly at the television. It wasn't even on, he was just staring into a black screen. An empty abyss, allowing his mind to wander as he sat there alone. He had forgotten what it was like to be alone, and now he remembered why he hated it. The mind-numbing, vast _tedium_ that accompanied this aloneness was almost too much to take.

The first few days he felt his motivation start to drain from him, his will to continue going with it. It was all he could do to sit, staring blankly at the television screen, and not fall asleep and just… never wake up again. It had been days since he had gotten any rest, he had just been sitting on his couch, staring at the screen, waiting… waiting… waiting.

At this point, he was just grasping at straws, but as he stared at that blank, black screen, two memories played on constant loop in his head. They were the only reason he kept going. The first memory was when Judy first moved in with him. The excitement, the elation he felt when she gave him that smile of hers as she slipped into bed with him in the middle of the night, grasping at his tail as she did. She was his sly bunny, and that memory reminded him why he loved her.

The second memory was of her kidnapping. It was painful to go from such a happy memory to such a depressing one, but this memory reminded him that he needed to save her. That only _he_ could save her from the clutches of that white bastard. All he had to do was wait… and wait… and wait. Wait for him to be contacted with news of Wolfgang's mother's death.

 _Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Three loud knocks brought him back to the real world. He blinked a few times, turning to stare at the door, wondering if he was just hallucinating. But the three knocks sounded again, forcing him to get off the couch and answer the door. _I'm not expecting any visitors,_ he growled internally. If he was in peak mental condition, he might've grabbed his gun from the counter, but he was so tired that it completely slipped his mind.

He opened the door part way, only for the mammal on the other side to push the door open, knocking him backwards and allowing the other mammal into the apartment. "Huh, nice place ya got here," the voice, distinctly male chuckled.

Nick blinked several times before shaking his head, clearing it of exhaustion as he pushed himself up off the floor to glare at the intruder. It was a hyena he didn't recognize, wearing a simple white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. "Who the hell are you?" Nick growled as he glanced around for his gun.

"No one important," the hyena chuckled, jamming his paws in his pockets. He grinned widely, baring his teeth to the fox, causing an intense feeling of dread to jolt through his spine. The hyena walked further into the apartment, not bothering to shut the door.

"What do you want?" Nick hissed as he spotted his gun on the counter. He glanced back at the hyena to see him plopping down on his couch.

"Oh come now, you know why I'm here," the hyena said. His eyes narrowed as his gaze swept over the glass coffee table in front of the couch. Cigarette butts and beer bottles were strewn across the table. "I see you're indulging in your own destruction."

"I don't need a lecture from you, and I have no clue why the hell you're in my apartment," Nick growled immediately. The cigarettes had helped him relax and the alcohol had numbed him, maybe he _had_ been a bit liberal in their use, but he would only accept chastisement from Judy and no one else.

"I suppose it doesn't matter, considering there's a good chance you're going to die today," the hyena explained, still not turning to look at the fox. Seeing the opportunity, and the underlying threat behind his words, Nick snatched his gun from the counter and hid it behind his back, no longer feeling safe.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the fox snarled, fighting the urge to just shoot the hyena.

"I can't believe I have to spell it out for you, I thought you were smarter than this," the hyena taunted.

"Just spit it out!" Nick roared, finally having enough, pointing the gun at the hyena.

The hyena finally turned to look at the fox, bored expression clear on his face. "Don't shoot the messenger. I just thought you might like to know that Wolfy's mother is dead," he said.

"Wolfy?"

"Wolfgang Fritz, you know, the one who has Judy Hopps?" the hyena raised an eyebrow.

Nick's eyes widened as he lowered the gun. "Oh," he said simply. "I thought Mr. Big was going to call me."

"Mr. Big is currently indisposed," the hyena shrugged.

Once again that feeling of dread passed through Nick's spine, causing him to raise the gun again. "What did you do to Mr. Big?" he growled.

"That gun is absolutely useless against me, just so you know," the hyena hissed, standing up once again. "And I didn't do anything to him… he's sick."

"Why didn't you just say that, then?" the fox protested, not lowering the gun.

"I didn't think you'd flip out on me," the hyena shrugged.

"Still doesn't explain why you didn't just call."

"I prefer a more paws-on approach," the hyena chuckled. "I wanted to meet the man that was going to bring the invincible Wolfgang Fritz down. And to tell you… I'm not buying it."

"Would it help if I just fucking shot you?" Nick growled, aiming his pistol at the hyena's head.

"I'd be more impressed if you didn't have the safety on," the hyena chuckled as he padded towards the fox. "But you should save some of that rage for Wolfy."

The fox trembled as the hyena towered over him, whether in rage or fear, he couldn't tell as he summoned the courage to glare into the hyena's eyes. There was that glint of chaos in the larger mammal's orbs, causing Nick to growl, "Fine. Just get the hell out of my apartment."

"Of course," the hyena chuckled. He walked passed the fox and towards the still open door, humming a tune as he went. " _I believe… them bones… are me,_ " the hyena sang as he walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him as he went, cutting off his voice.

Nick glared at the door, having turned around to keep the weapon pointed at the clearly crazy hyena. But the moment the door shut, he dropped to his knees, sending the gun clattering to the ground as well. He let out a shaky breath. It was finally time, finally time to save Judy. But that hyena had scared the living shit out of him. He looked over at the couch and could still see the larger mammal's red eyes staring into his soul.

XXX

Judy opened her eyes and let out a loud yawn as she stretched. Most of her muscles felt considerably better than yesterday. In fact, she nearly felt as good as new. Whatever was in those pills she had been taking had done the job. Well… most of her muscles felt better. She took a few steps, only to find out that she was limping again.

She looked over at Wolfgang to see him still asleep. She chuckled quietly to herself, their session last night had taken more out of him than it did her. She placed her paws on his shoulder and shook him, calling, "Wolfgang! Wake up!" She had to resist the urge to jump on him.

His eyes opened slowly as he turned his head to stare at her blearily. "What?" he asked softly.

"It's time to get up!" she grinned, jumping off the bed. She let out a small groan as she landed, but was otherwise feeling fine.

"I would think… after your injuries and after… last night, you would want to sleep in," he yawned, rolling over so that he was on his back.

"Are you kidding me? I feel as good as new! Come on, Wolfgang, or I'm having breakfast without you," she threatened.

He sat up slowly to stare at her. "You bounce back quickly," he observed as he tumbled out of bed with a groan. He padded over to one of his dressers and picking out something simple to wear for today.

She blinked when she saw him dressing himself, and looked down to see she was still naked. _Oh yeah…_ she realized. The room with all the dresses was quite a ways away. "Hey… Wolfgang?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Yes?"

"Do you think you can carry me to the room with the dresses? I don't want to walk there by myself and… naked…" she mumbled.

"Of course I will," he chuckled as he straightened his suit jacket. He picked her up and walked out of his room and walked down the hallway, hugging her against his chest.

He made his way to the room with all the dresses, setting her down when he did, and letting her pick what she wanted to wear. In the end, she picked a blue dress that went all the way to the ground. She gave him a twirl and said, "How do I look?"

"Beautiful as always, my dear," the white wolf gave her a wide smile before picking her up and carrying her towards the dining room. "We'll start moving the dresses into our room tonight… and by we, I mean Miss… Julia will. It must be annoying having to go and fetch a dress every single day."

"You have no idea," Judy chuckled. "But that sounds like a plan." She looked ahead, smiling widely as Wolfgang carried her through the house. It felt weird to be so far off the ground, and yet feel so safe.

But as they entered the dining room, Julia ran towards them, worried expression present on her muzzle. "Sir?" she asked, skidding to a stop in front of them.

"Yes?" Wolfgang asked, frowning at her concerned look.

"Uh… Wolfgang… your mother… she died last night," Julia said, swallowing audibly as she waited for a reaction.

His eyes widened as he stared at Julia, almost in disbelief. _Finally,_ he sighed to himself. Carefully, he set Judy back onto the ground before taking a deep breath. "I must go. Stay with her and get her some breakfast!" he called out as he practically ran in the opposite direction.

Julia nodded mostly to herself, looking down at Judy as she did. She gave the rabbit a soft smile and said, "It's really happening. He's won! What would you like for breakfast?"

Judy didn't pay any attention to the hyena, not hearing what she had said. Instead, the rabbit stared at the hallway Wolfgang had disappeared through, a grin stretching across her face. Nick was coming for her. The funeral was where Nick was going to rescue her! _This is happening! Not Wolfgang winning… but me instead!_ she cackled internally.

Julia looked at the grinning rabbit, growing concerned as Judy never made any attempt to seem as if she had heard the hyena. "Uh… Judy?" she asked.

"W-what?" Judy asked, shaken out of her reverie. She looked up at the hyena, a grin still plastered across her face.

"You seem excited," the hyena returned the rabbit's grin. "Uh, you didn't answer my question though. What do you want for breakfast?"

"Oh… I don't know. Is there oatmeal?" Judy asked.

Julia snorted as if it was the stupidest question the rabbit could ask. "Of course," she said simply, making her way towards the kitchen. Judy limped over to the table and pulled herself up onto her chair. She looked around, expecting to see Shenzi nearby, but couldn't find the other hyena.

Judy shifted in her seat, noticing how uncomfortable she felt being alone in the dining room. She struggled not to admit to herself that she wanted Wolfgang underneath her, his lap much more comfortable than the hard chairs. _No… I can't get attached to him. Not when my rescue is just around the corner!_ she argued. But the events of last night begged to differ…

She was so distracted with her inner conflict, that she hardly noticed Julia walking out of the kitchen carrying the brown sludge known as oatmeal. "Are you all right?" the hyena asked as she set the bowl down in front of Judy and took a seat next to her.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit distracted…" Judy muttered, picking up the spoon the hyena had given her and digging into her breakfast, desperate not to talk about what she was thinking about. "So… where's Shenzi?" she asked Julia between bites of her breakfast.

"She's asleep. We… uh… we were up all night… neglecting our duties," the hyena chuckled.

"What were you two doing?" Judy asked cheerfully. "Getting to know one another again?"

"Sort of," Julia chuckled. "It's nice to have her with me again, and I really think she's getting better too. She seems to happy now, even after what happened to her. It makes me realize just how empty I was without her." The hyena let out a long sigh as she leaned back in her chair, her mind drifting away for just a moment before she shook her head and looked back at the rabbit. "But that's not important. What about you? Did you… ah… have 'fun' last night?"

Judy blushed heavily, looking away from the hyena. "Now that's not important either," she retorted. "I'd rather you told me how Shenzi is coming along."

"Oh come on! You have to let me have some fun, right? I'm sure you had _plenty_ of 'fun' last night!" the hyena protested. But she eventually let out a sigh and conceded. "Shenzi's doing great. She's already lost a majority of her stutter, though she refuses to refer to anyone but me by their real name. Nice Carrots, I'm guessing that wasn't your idea?"

"No it wasn't… my partner referred to me as Carrots, and she immediately decided to call me 'Nice Carrots,'" Judy explained. "Has she told you why she does that?"

"Y-yeah… uh… I think a part of her recovery will be forgetting about her time under that bastard lion," Julia sighed, not wanting to repeat what Shenzi had told her aloud.

"Why is that?" Judy asked. She had hoped Shenzi had shared more with her younger sister than she had the rabbit, but it didn't look like Julia was going to be telling.

"I think that sometimes it's better just to forget, move on. Like what Wolfgang did… though he had a bit of help," the hyena snickered. "Did he tell you about he received his fear?"

"Sort of, though he's managed to conquer that fear, believe me," the rabbit chuckled.

"I do… you're quite vocal, you know that?"

Judy turned red again when she heard the words coming out of the hyena's mouth. _She overheard us!_ the rabbit realized. "How… uh… how much did you hear, exactly?" she asked, mortified at the very idea.

The hyena's smirk widened even farther, though it seemed impossible. "Oh my big, strong wolf, harder!" she cackled, clasping her paws together as she mimicked Judy's voice. "Though my personal favorite has gotta be 'shut up and eat me!'"

Judy swallowed, though her mouth was dry. "So… you heard all of it," she squeaked.

"Yup, Shenzi too. She was the one to noticed your moans," the hyena snickered.

"Could you not repeat any of that to anyone? Like… ever?" Judy all but mumbled as she covered her face with her paws, trying to stifle the burning sensation she felt in her cheeks.

Julia only burst out laughing. "I'd be more worried about Shenzi than me! I'm a vault, you can trust me… but she was asking questions," she chuckled.

"Uh… what sort of questions?" Judy managed to ask, swallowing dryly once again. She wasn't sure if Shenzi had ever been told of such things, even though she herself had forcefully experienced them. The rabbit wasn't sure if Shenzi had the level of understanding required to put two and two together.

"Oh, you know, the usual things confused kids ask. She was horrified, at first, when I explained it to her," Julia chuckled humorlessly. "But she calmed down when I explained why you were doing it."

"W-why?"

"I told her that you two were repairing your relationship… a roundabout way of saying make-up sex," Julia grinned. "Oh, she may start calling Wolfgang 'Big Wolf,' having picked it up from you."

Judy practically slammed her head on the table, now thoroughly embarrassed. "Oh god…" she muttered, her ears turning bright red like her face and flopping behind her head.

Julia snickered again and patted the rabbit on the back. "There, there… there's nothing to be embarrassed about. It sounded like you really enjoyed yourself," she grinned.

"Just… just stop talking about it," the rabbit blubbered, trying to turn back to her breakfast as she fought back the red tint on her face.

"If that is what the precious, little bunny wishes," Julia's voice dropped low, doing her best to imitate Wolfgang. Surprisingly, she sounded almost identical to the white wolf. Judy only gulped, staring straight ahead as she tried not to react.

"What were we talking about?" Wolfgang's deep voice sounded from the entrance to the dining room. Both Julia and Judy reacted with wide eyes and swallowing softly.

"N-nothing!" Judy practically shouted as she turned in her chair, trying to make it look like she didn't nearly jump out of it from shock.

Wolfgang raised an eyebrow as he walked over to his seat. "Whatever you say, my precious, little bunny," he smirked.

Julia snorted loudly, trying hard not to burst out laughing. "I'll get you breakfast," she said quickly, standing so fast the chair she was sitting on toppled over as she rushed towards the kitchen.

Judy let out a groan. "Can't that be kept to last night?" she huffed, crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry… things are going to get depressing in an hour, so I wanted to lighten the mood a bit. Julia seemed to enjoy it," he noted, staring at the kitchen door where the giggling hyena had disappeared through.

Judy grumbled a curse under her breath. "At my expense! Did you hear what she said she'd overheard?"

"No," came his simple response.

"Uh… she heard all of it. Shenzi too," she muttered.

"I see… and is that a problem?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Is that a… yes that's a problem!" Judy exclaimed, putting her paws on her hips. "It's a violation of my privacy! And not to mention she went out of her way to embarrass me!"

"I see. Well, considering how loud you are, I'm surprised all the servants aren't complaining," Wolfgang smirked.

"But… ju… but…" she sputtered out as the white wolf let out a deep chuckle.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" he asked, smirking at her. "Punish Julia for having ears?"

"Or we could just stop having sex," Judy grinned, crossing her arms again.

"Or that. Fine by me, if it makes you feel better," he shrugged.

"But… that's not a _normal male reaction!_ " she protested, before covering her mouth. Wolfgang smirked at her and she realized that he had just called her bluff. _Damn,_ she grumbled internally. "Or we could just invest in sound-proof walls."

 _Or you can ask yourself why you're still having this conversation,_ she thought. Why _was_ she still playing along? Or that she was going to actually fuck him again? Or that she was going to be here another night?

"That would be expensive, time consuming, and would boot us out of our room for days on end," he said. "But if it would make you feel better…"

"Never mind, I guess I'll just get over the embarrassment," she sighed.

Wolfgang let out a short chuckle, but didn't get to say anything else as Julia exited the kitchen with a plate full of eggs and bacon. She set it down in front of him and sat next to Judy once again, picking up the chair she had knocked over. "Julia, did you complete your duties last night?" he asked calmly.

The hyena blinked at him before a grin spread across her face. "Yeah," she replied, "Of course." And with that, she stood and bolted towards the hallway.

Wolfgang only rolled his eyes, taking a bite of bacon as he did. "Of course she did," he grumbled. "No matter… she'll just have twice as much work tonight."

"I guess she will," Judy shrugged. _Serves her right for eavesdropping on us,_ she smirked to herself. "So… what's with your mother?"

"She's dead," he grunted simply.

"Well, yeah, I got that much. But when… when's the, you know… funeral?" she asked.

"In an hour," he sighed. "The graveyard isn't too far away. I was expecting a few names to be there, but Mr. Big fell ill and Janja cancelled on me. They said they'll pay their respects later, as if."

Judy's grin widened again. Nick had said he would be there! "Oh… should I dress nice?" she asked.

"I had Julia pick up something more… funeral-esque yesterday, though whether or not she actually accomplished that task, I have no idea. There's probably something formal you can wear in that dress room if she didn't," he said.

"I'll change in a moment," Judy replied, her mind whirling. Would Nick or another cop be there in disguise? Would they come out shooting? How would they be there? What was their plan? These thoughts raced through her mind as she stared off into the distance, grinning like an excited fool.

"You seem rather… excited about this whole deal Does it really mean that much to you that she's dead?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her wide smile.

"Hmm?" she hummed, looking up at him. "Oh… nothing special. You made it."

"We made it," he corrected her. "I will reiterate what I said in Paris, you have become more important to me than the throne."

"That's good," Judy nodded. "At least I'll be able to spend the rest of my life with someone who loves me." It felt odd lying through her teeth like that, but she couldn't let him catch onto Nick's plan.

"I just had this… horrible feeling that something bad was going to happen today," he admitted. "I passed it off as my mother dying… but it's still there."

 _Uh oh,_ she realized, her ears standing tall on her head in panic. _No, calm down, you can still salvage this._ "B-bad?" she managed to stutter out. "There's… well… what else could possibly happen?"

"I don't know…" he trailed off. "Do you want to go to the funeral? I think there might be something wrong, and if you'd rather stay, I'll stay with you. I don't need to be there to receive my inheritance."

Judy looked up at him again, willing her expression to remain neutral. _How could he possibly know?_ she wondered. "No… I think it's better that we go," she replied.

He gave her a smile. "If that is what you wish, my precious, little bunny," he chuckled. _Whatever it is… it's probably just paranoia,_ he sighed to himself. He supposed he would have to get used to paranoia. Although, after the funeral, he would be the most powerful man on the planet… there was no place for being paranoid. No one could touch him, or Judy, ever.

"Right. I'm going to get dressed then," Judy said, slipping off the chair carefully. "I'll be back." She limped out of the room, leaving Wolfgang alone.

 _There's something off here,_ he thought to himself, though he couldn't tell exactly what. Nodding to himself, he decided to double the amount of security at the funeral, and keep the snipers ready to fire. He patted his side, double checking to make sure his pistols were there. If something happened… he would be ready.

XXX

Judy walked beside Wolfgang, still limping slightly, as he trailed behind his mother's coffin. The funeral procession didn't have far to go, the graveyard was hardly a hundred meters from the mansion. Behind Wolfgang walked his brother with his wife beside him. His head was bowed and he stared at the ground as he walked. Behind him came Julia, practically dragging Kat, who was still bound in chains, beside her.

They were surrounded on all sides by nearly four dozen bodyguards, all toting assault style weaponry. Stern expressions graced the wide variety of mammals, ranging from wolves to lions to bears, as they kept lookout for anything strange while the coffin passed them by.

Judy walked carefully. She had grabbed that little gun Nick had given her and shoved it in the only place she could. It was uncomfortable to feel the cold steel rub against her core, she felt no pleasure from it. But if this rescue operation started to go south… she had to be ready to defend herself.

They came to a stop at a large hole where four mammals began carefully lowering the coffin. A priest stood nearby, reading from the bible, but neither Wolfgang nor Judy paid any attention. The sound of Kat struggling against her chains was the only other sound besides the priest's voice until the coffin hit the bottom of the hole with a loud _thump._

Wolfgang grumbled to himself as dirt was piled on the coffin, adjusting his tie. He hated ties, typically he only wore the button-up and the jacket, but he added the tie for formality. His brother wore something similar, even Julia was wearing a formal dress of some sort, but not Kat. Kat was wearing only rags and chains. Wolfgang planned to dig another hole and just kill her the moment his mother was buried.

They stood at the edge of the grave, a headstone already in place, as they watched the other mammals dump dirt onto the grave. They were surrounded by other headstones, dozens of other Fritzes were buried in this graveyard, as well as extended family. Wolfgang knew one day he too would end up here.

Judy herself hardly watched the coffin being swallowed by the earth, instead glancing around, trying to spot Nick. There were more guards than she thought there would be. _Oh, I hope he's prepared for that…_ she thought to herself as she looked behind her, hoping to see a police car in the distance.

Everything seemed so… silent. She continued to look around, becoming worried. What if he wasn't coming? What if there was a complication? What if he didn't know? She should have expected that Wolfgang would have noticed her odd behavior. "What are you looking for?" he asked, glancing down at her.

"Uh… oh, er… nothing," she said, turning back to him. "Nothing special, at least."

His eyes narrowed, there was that bad feeling again. _Why does it seem to get stronger whenever she talks?_ he wondered. "Whatever you say, my dearest," he sighed, turning back to the hole just in time to see the coffin disappear from view forever.

Suddenly, a single shot rang out. All eyes turned towards the mansion to hear a distinct yelp of pain as a wolf fell off the roof of the mansion from the concealed position he had been standing. As one, everyone turned to the source of the shot to see a large feline standing on a neighboring building not far away from the mansion, a rifle in his paws.

A grin stretched across Judy face as she saw the feline was clad in black and blue. Not a moment later, several police cruisers pulled up the scene and officers streamed out, most carrying assault rifles as they opened fire onto the group of mammals.

Wolfgang's eyes widened as chaos erupted around him. Dozens of officers raced onto the scene and managed to take cover behind the gravestones while his guards were still recovering from shock. "Open fire!" he roared, hoping to spur his guards into action. _I knew it,_ he snarled internally as he reached for his pistol.

It was a bit reckless of the ZPD to rush in there, guns blazing in a frenzied attempt to kill Wolfgang himself. But, due to Judy's height, she was unlikely to be hit in the crossfire. Hissing to himself, Wolfgang grabbed Judy and rolled for cover behind a large headstone instead of drawing his own weapon. "Fuck," he growled over the sound of gunfire. His guards were doing their best to hit the officers, but so far they had been unsuccessful, while the ZPD was having a relatively easy time hitting the fools who had still yet to take cover.

The white wolf rolled his eyes as his guards finally discovered the idea of cover and the battle quickly became a stalemate. "Ha, ha!" Judy shouted as Wolfgang held her tight in one arm. He looked down at her when he heard her voice to see her grinning smugly up at him.

"I feared as much," he growled, narrowing his eyes at her. "You betrayed me… I _had_ lost you… he _did_ corrupt you. He gave you false hope."

"I can't say I'm sorry!" Judy grinned, caught up in the euphoria of the realization that she was finally being rescued. He squeezed her closer to his chest protectively as a bullet grazed the tombstone they were hiding behind. She tried to peek out and see how her friends were doing, and to see if she could spot Nick, but she only got a glimpse before Wolfgang pulled her back.

"I know you can't. However, know that this is a pointless endeavor on their part… the moment I enter the fight, it will be lost for them," he hissed. "Even if I stayed here with you, they would have to deal with numbers far outweighing their own… plus my siblings."

Judy looked to her left to see that Kat had gotten out of her bindings and had tackled one of the officers, mauling him to death. Covering the deranged wolf was her brother, wielding a submachinegun of some sort, blazing away into the officer's cover, trying to whittle away the stone with his bullets.

"I am going to show them how _untouchable_ I am, which will prove to both them and you that you will _never_ be taken from me," he snarled, pulling one of his pistols from its holster. "I will crush all hope of rescue from your heart… and then we can finally live in peace."

"It's over, Wolfgang," Judy said, crossing her arms.

" _It's not over!_ " he snarled, hugging her so tight against his chest that she almost had trouble breathing. "Are you worried about your friends? I promise to give them the merciful deaths they deserve!"

She glanced around the headstone again, catching a glimpse of russet fur popping up from behind a different gravestone and firing at one of the guards, before quickly ducking back. It was Nick! "Listen to me, Wolfgang. It doesn't have to end like this! You have the power to end this right now, without anyone dying!" she protested, looking up at him.

"Why would I do that? Shouldn't I punish them for their mistake? For their insolence?" he growled. "What you're talking about is surrender. If I surrender, I get arrested, I lose you! I refuse to do that!"

"No, listen, Wolfgang! Last night wasn't a complete sham, alright? But… if you think that I can ever love you, you're wrong," she growled. "Surrender… it's either that or be killed." If he didn't agree now… she would have to do it. She didn't want to be the one to kill him, but he was being stubborn. _I might have no other choice,_ she realized as his ears flattened against his head and he closed his eyes.

He exhaled slowly as he blocked out the sounds from the battle raging around him. And he thought carefully about his current situation. It was the one thing his father had praised him on above all else. His ability to think clearly, even in stressful situations. And he _was_ under an intense amount of stress. He could _feel_ that knife Judy had figuratively buried in his heart, he could _feel_ the gun to the back of his head, and he could _feel_ the caped buffalo waiting around the corner, ready to arrest him the moment he let his guard down.

There had to be a way out. There was always a way out. _I've been arrogant,_ he realized. And his arrogance had led to him being blind to what was happening around him. Blind to Judy's deception. He had _sensed_ something was wrong, but he was too concentrated on his own invincibility to realize that he was in trouble. So he tossed aside his arrogance. He tossed aside his pride. And he tossed aside his stubbornness.

 _What do I want?_

Such a simple question, and yet he could feel two different answers tugging at him. On the one paw, he could surrender, strike a plea deal, and go right back to being king. It would be a hit to his pride as being invincible, but he had tossed such a useless feeling aside. He would win the throne, but he would lose Judy forever.

Or he could fight. He might win, or he might lose. He knew that if he lost, there was no plea bargain, there was no deal to free himself. He would either spend his life in prison, or he would be slain on the battlefield. But if he won… _he could keep Judy._ But without that arrogant voice whispering in his ear, he was no longer confident of his victory. There was about a fifty-fifty chance of winning.

 _There has to be a way._

Silence. Silence was the worst thing in the middle of a battle. There was a lull in the combat, as both sides had dug deep in their positions, too afraid to poke out and risk being killed. The air was heavy with the scent of death and blood, not even the screams of the injured rang out, unable to pierce the thick veil of silence that hung over the graveyard.

Judy was starting to become uncomfortable. She had been staring at Wolfgang for several minutes, but he hadn't even twitched. Until she felt his grip loosen and she tumbled off his chest and hit the ground. She looked up at him, trying to keep at bay the concern that danced through her eyes. But he didn't even glance at her, his eyes still closed.

She huffed internally, afraid to make a sound. It was so quiet, that she was starting to worry that she had gone deaf. _He dropped me… does that mean he's surrendering?_ she wondered.

She flinched when his ears flicked upwards and his eyes slowly opened. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it, still fearful of making a sound. But that was not a fear he shared. He did not turn to look at her, and although his voice was barely above a whisper, it echoed throughout the graveyard and pierced the souls of each mammal present, " _I will never let them take you._ "

Her eyes widened as she realized what his decision was, but it was too late for her to do anything. He stood in a single fluid motion, one paw grasped firmly around the only friend he could trust, and the other around his tie. As one, he pulled his black tie free from around his neck and tossed it aside, and fired his weapon.

The bullet flew true, like it always did, and slammed through the skull of his brother, blasting out the other side with a spray of blood and brain matter. The moment the shot rang out, the ZPD clutched their weapons as they heard the sounds of Wolfgang's bodyguards yelling out in surprise and horror. But none of them dared peek out and look to see what was going on.

But the white wolf did not stop. He fired over and over again, mercilessly slaughtering what remained of his bodyguards. Each shell struck true, killing each guard before they had a chance to move. Even the guards that turned to shoot at him were dead before they could fire a single round. His amber eyes were narrowed and filled with cold fury, not taking the time to mourn any of the deaths he caused.

Kat, realizing what was happening attempted to run, but not even she got very far before he fired at her kneecaps, nearly blowing her legs off. She collapsed onto the ground with a loud laugh and rolled onto her back so she could smirk at him. He approached her slowly, reloading his weapons as he did. He had pulled his second pistol out a few moments before, each one just slightly too large for his paws.

"Come now, brother," she snickered as he placed his foot on her chest, keeping her pinned against the ground. Fear was not evident in her eyes, she couldn't even feel fear. "We both know that-" she attempted to say, but was cut off by the sound of a gun firing. He silenced her forever with a single shot through her skull, painting the earth red as he did.

The whole time, Judy had watched him with her mouth agape in horror. He had so casually and so easily slaughtered everyone that was supposed to be _on his side_. _What the hell is he doing?_ she managed to wonder as she watched him stalk towards where the ZPD officers were hiding.

"Officer Wilde!" he shouted out, glaring at the tombstone he was fairly confident the fox was hiding behind. "Come out, officer Wilde!" he yelled again when Nick didn't show himself.

The officers all flinched uniformly when they heard the gunfire stop and Wolfgang's voice above the silence. They turned to look at Nick, who only gripped his weapon even harder. At a third prompting by the white wolf, the fox let out a low growl and stood, immediately bringing his weapon to bear on Wolfgang as he walked out from behind his cover.

One of Wolfgang's handguns was pointed at the fox, but he did not intend to fire his weapon. _There's always a way out,_ he reminded himself. "What?" Nick growled, planting himself firmly on the ground, raising his weapon so that it pointed at the white wolf's head.

"This is the second time you've tried to take her from me. Hopefully _now_ you understand what will happen if I catch you near my house again!" he snarled.

"What do you-" the fox started to say but trailed off as he saw the carnage around him. The destruction that Wolfgang had caused to his own men. "You… you killed your own mammals?!"

"I did. To prove a point," the wolf hissed. " _This is what happens when you challenge me! And if you continue your doomed pursuit of my wife, you shall die in this manner!_ "

Nick ground his teeth together as his gaze flicked from the clearly insane white wolf and the dozens of dead bodies he had personally killed. He trembled in rage, he _couldn't_ let Judy stay with this monster not even a second longer. They were so close! This had to work! And he wasn't the only one thinking that.

The other ZPD officers poked their heads and weapons out from behind their cover, pointing their guns at Wolfgang. "You can't kill us all," Nick growled, readjusting his grip on his weapon. "We have you."

Wolfgang let out a deep chuckle. "You have nothing. I am giving you this opportunity to leave immediately, instead you are choosing to throw away your lives," he hissed.

"You can't hope to dodge all our bullets!" Nick protested, very conscious of the deadly weapon pointed at him. "Surrender!"

"Can you dodge mine?" Wolfgang challenged. "You're being quite selfish, don't you think, officer Wilde?"

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" the fox growled.

"If you shoot me… I shoot you. If I shoot you… you shoot me. Either of those options, we both end up dying. Tell me… how would dear Judy feel to lose you? Or me? Would it be _worth_ it to her if you or I die for the other's life?" the white wolf asked, smirk tugging at his lips.

Nick swallowed hard and risked a glance at the chief who was pointing a shotgun at Wolfgang's head. The caped buffalo only shrugged, equally as unsure of what to do as the fox. Nick glared back at Wolfgang, finger twitching on the trigger. He wanted nothing more than to shoot the bastard.

"Do you care for Judy, officer Wilde? If you do, then put your weapons down and walk away! Walk away with the knowledge that she didn't lose something precious today!" he snarled. "You've risked your lives for her, and that is admirable. So I am being _lenient!_ "

Judy jumped out from her cover and bolted towards the standoff. She slid between Nick and Wolfgang, throwing her arms out as she did. "Nobody shoot!" she shouted, gritting her teeth.

"Judy…" Nick trailed off when he laid eyes on her. He hadn't seen her take cover behind the tombstone, he had thought that she was inside the manor.

"Tell them to go away my dearest… tell them their mission has failed," Wolfgang growled, not moving his weapon from Nick's face.

"You know I can't do that," Judy growled, breathing heavily. It hurt that he was right. She didn't want to lose _either_ of them.

"That does not change the fact that they've failed… it only changes the fact that I will have to kill them all," he hissed.

Judy tensed before she reached down into her dress and pulled out the gun Nick had given her, pointing it at Wolfgang before he could react. "Just put your gun down," she said, her weapon nearly slipping from her sweaty paws.

"You're going to test me too, Judy? Third time's the charm, I see," he chuckled. "It's still the same situation, if you fire, I fire and you lose both of us. Then what will you have left?"

"I don't want either of you to die… I can say that with absolute certainty," Judy swallowed. "But the only way I can ensure that is if you put your gun down."

"The only way _I can assure that_ is if you tell them to walk away! When they are gone, I will put the gun down," the white wolf countered.

 _Why is he so stubborn? Why can't he see this is his only option?_ she wondered. "Come on Wolfgang… just do it. It's the best possible scenario… the most delicate," she pleaded.

"To put my gun down?" he asked incredulously. "Why? So I can be arrested? Have you learned _nothing_ from me?!"

"Er…" she trailed off. _Goddamn it, why is he always right?_ she growled to herself. What was she even supposed to say? She thought carefully, knowing that Nick wouldn't fire unless Wolfgang did, and Wolfgang wouldn't fire unless Nick did. As she thought, she spotted a panther clothed in heavy combat gear begin to move, slinking behind a grave and making his way behind Wolfgang, outside of his field of vision. The panther was moving so quietly that not even Judy could hear his footsteps. "Not necessarily," she said after a moment's hesitation, her eyes flicking back up to Wolfgang.

"Is that so?" he hissed, never once pointing his weapons away from Nick.

"Well… I don't know… I am a cop after all. Maybe… maybe I could change something," she tried as the panther approached, raising his gun.

"And what would you change?" he growled. "There's nothing that any of you can do. Your only solution is to walk away!" He seemed completely oblivious to the panther behind him.

A triumphant smirk spread across Nick's face as he spoke up, "Yeah… nothing at all." At that cue, the panther brought the butt of his gun down hard onto Wolfgang's head, hitting him with a dull thud. Time seemed to slow down for the white wolf, his amber eyes widening in surprise as he pitched forward, guns dropping from his paws.

He steadied his stance, preventing himself from toppling over, but it was too late, he was no longer armed. Bogo dropped his shotgun and rushed forward, shoving Nick aside, and slamming his fist into the white wolf's chest so hard it lifted him off the ground.

Wolfgang crumpled to the ground with a loud cough before Bogo set a knee on his back, and grabbed his arms, pulling them behind his back before cuffing him. The wolf continued to stare straight ahead, eyes wide in shock. He didn't struggle, he was still attempting to process what had happened to him. _I made a mistake…_ he realized as Bogo lifted him off the ground.

"Wolfgang Fritz, you are under arrest for kidnapping, murder, threatening a police officer, and manufacturing and distribution of illegal arms. You have the right to remain silent, as anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you in court," Bogo growled as he dragged the still dazed wolf towards one of the cruisers.

"Ha! You stupid motherfucker, we got you!" Nick exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air in celebration. Wolfgang only stared blankly ahead as he was practically carried to the cruiser. For whatever reason, Judy couldn't help but stare at Wolfgang, a _hollow_ feeling rising in her chest. _Why is that?_ she managed to wonder as a familiar-looking timber wolf officer with one of his arms in a sling opened the back door to the cruiser.

"Et tu, cousin?" Wolfgang all but whispered as he recognized the officer as Wolfard, who didn't respond. The white wolf turned his head to stare at the rabbit for just a second. She watched, gulping softly as she watched the fire disappear from his amber eyes, just as the door slammed shut on the invincible… indomitable… infallible Wolfgang Fritz.

 _I feel so alone, gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones._

XXX

 **Ah, I just love** ** _Alice in Chains,_** **don't you?** ** _Them Bones_** **is the song referenced several times throughout this chapter. It's a… fitting song for the end of this arc, and sets the tone for our next arc. Speaking of our next arc, it seems as if Judy's been successfully rescued! I wonder if she'll be able to readjust to her old life after what happened to her? I wonder if anything will come back and haunt her? And, of course, I wonder what'll happen to Wolfgang, now that he's going to prison? All that and more, next time!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – Cage and Clip the Wings:

Author's Note:

 **Ah, I had originally planned on not posting this week, due to having all this work to do, but I managed to find the time to finish editing this chapter. I'll start with: welcome to arc two! I won't give anything away for this arc, as there's a lot of fun stuff here. Anyways, I do have a few reviews to address before we go any further…**

 **Medic, hello once again! You keep leaving multiple reviews, as if you're begging for my attention. Not that I don't like seeing multiple reviews, nothing of the sort. Where should I start… I guess with your second review to the last chapter. I do believe that you think Wolfgang will overcome his current situation, but then again… he might not. You'll just have to stick around and find out. And yes, he was supposed to be badass last chapter (if that is indeed what BA stands for). For your third review, I have no idea where you got Mozart from. No, Wolfgang can't play the piano (or at least, he's never shown playing the piano) … and I have no idea what you mean by "because he ain't no cheeta." Care to elaborate? Do you mean cheetah? I have no idea…**

 **Anyways, now that I've gotten that out of the way, we can start the chapter. We start right where we left off, with Nick and Judy still at the mansion as Wolfgang is driven away. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Judy couldn't stop herself from flinching, dropping the gun she was holding, as Nick embraced her. "We did it, we did it!" he grinned, pulling her close to him. Judy hugged him back, unsure of what else to do. She continued to stare at the place the cruiser that held Wolfgang had just occupied, that odd hollow feeling persisting.

 _No… no, there's no way I'm not happy about this,_ she grumbled internally. She would admit, if questioned, that she had grown to tolerate him. She had grown used to his presence, and there was this… kindness to him that she had become comforted by. She was just adjusting to him being ripped from her. That's all that hollow feeling was.

After an hour or two with Nick, maybe after sleeping in her own bed again, she would be back to normal. Though she would never forget her time with the white wolf, after he's carted off to prison for his actions, he would fade to the back of her mind. She sucked in a deep breath. That was all she wanted. For this to fade. For her to get on with her life. This was just a mild bump on the street of eternity.

"Yeah… we did, didn't we," she replied, looking up at him, hugging him tighter as she did.

Nick let out a loud sigh as he felt her tighten the hug. It felt so good for her to be in his arms once again. "Yeah…" he grinned as he pulled away from her to look her in the eyes. "I'm not letting you out of my sight again, Carrots."

She buried her face against his chest, willing the tears to remain at bay. It felt so good to hear those words from his mouth. "I'm holding you to that," she said, her voice muffled from his uniform.

They remained that way until she noticed a face pop out from behind one of the many headstones. "Wolfgang? Is it over?" Julia said before she swallowed hard as she spotted all the large mammals in police uniforms.

Judy pulled away from Nick with a wide smile. "Hey Julia!" she waved at the hyena. "Come over here!"

The hyena licked her lips slowly and hesitantly made her way over to Judy. "Where… where's Wolfgang?" she asked softly. Nick only raised an eyebrow at the hyena, whose golden eyes flicked nervously from officer to officer before resting on Judy. She still couldn't see Wolfgang.

"I'm sorry, Julia, but he's been arrested," Judy responded carefully. She wasn't sure how the hyena would react. After all, both she and Wolfgang claimed to be good friends. "Your contract is void now, actually." With no one else to claim any of Wolfgang's contracts, they were all void now.

The hyena's eyes widened and she took a step backwards, stumbling, but not falling over. "No… that's not possible! Why? How?!" she cried out. She shook her head rapidly as she attempted to wrap her head around what was going on. To her, Wolfgang was unbeatable, untouchable… how was this possible?

"Well, sweetheart, he was a crook. I don't know what he's told you, but there isn't a criminal in Zootopia who isn't vulnerable to a hardworking police officer!" Nick grinned, still euphoric over his victory.

"Wolfgang can't be beaten! You cheated… you must've cheated!" she shook her head again before glaring at Judy. "You betrayed him, didn't you?"

Judy looked down at her feet, suddenly ashamed. For some reason, she couldn't take the accusing look in Julia's eyes. _I did betray him,_ she grumbled internally. _So what?_ "No she didn't. She did the right thing, and thanks to her, there's minus one crook in this city!" Nick replied, still grinning widely.

"Fuck you," the hyena growled. "Fuck you! He won't stay off the streets for long. He'll break out and be right back where he started. And then he'll bring his blazing wrath down upon you and this whole fucking city!"

Judy couldn't help but shiver when she heard those words from Julia's mouth. And she was unfortunately right. Wolfgang had several times boasted about the reach of his influence. If anyone could break free, it was him. And, although she had only seen him truly angry once, his wrath _was_ something to be feared. _Don't forget he has bragged about being able to annihilate the city on his whim,_ a small voice reminded her. "Oh god…" she muttered.

But Nick didn't seem perturbed by Julia's anger. "Your precious Wolfgang is going to jail, sweetheart. And even if he gets out, we'll bring him right back," he smirked. "That's our job."

"He's going to kill you, rip your spine straight out through your throat," she glared at him. "I bet he's already on his way back here, your precious precinct burning in his wake!"

"I highly fucking doubt it!" Nick returned her glare. "If you're really looking for a traitor, I'd go talk to Wolfard, he gave up everything."

"Wolfard?" Judy and Julia said at the same time, the rabbit looking up at the fox.

"Yeah, after Wolfgang's sister apparently beat the shit out of him, he swapped sides. He gave up every single mole in the precinct, Wolfy's got no allies left. And he's being isolated for good measure!" Nick grinned at Julia's shocked expression. Suddenly escape for the white wolf didn't seem so possible.

"He… he'll find a way… he's going to find a way…" the hyena muttered, trying to calm herself down.

"I don't think Wolfgang is going to break free any time soon," Judy said, letting out a sigh of relief. She knew he would be angry… angry at her. "But because your contract is void, we can pick you up for ourselves, right Nick?"

"Huh?" the fox said, looking down at the bunny. "Why would we contract this crazy hyena?"

"Because… uh… she's kept me good company while I was here. She's a friend!" Judy said.

"Yeah, 'friend,'" Julia grumbled, crossing her arms. "Well I don't have much of a choice, do I? I don't want to go back to jail, and I certainly don't want to be separated from my sister again!"

"Sister?" Nick asked, suddenly concerned that now Judy would make him take yet another contract, along with Shenzi.

"You're Nick Wilde… the Nice Fox, aren't you?" she growled, her golden eyes narrowing again.

"Did Shenzi tell you that? Because if she did, then yes, I am. Speaking of which, where is Shenzi?" he asked. Judy slapped a paw to her head when she realized she had forgotten to tell Nick.

"She's in the mansion. Thank god, otherwise you dumbasses would've killed her!" Julia snarled. "And I'm her _sister,_ asshole!"

"We wouldn't have killed her… what? W-what? You're her sister?" Nick asked, forgetting completely that he should be angry at her. He looked down at Judy, who only nodded. "Well… huh… yeah, I guess we kinda have to take you, then."

"Whoop-de-fucking-do," Julia grumbled. "You do realize that our collars are deactivated, right? They're going to find out, and then they're going to ask for them to be reactivated." They were safe with Wolfgang, there was no way anyone would ever find out that their collars were deactivated. And if they did, Wolfgang would keep them safe. Under Nick? That wasn't a luxury she could expect.

"So what if it gets turned back on? It's not like we're going to shock either of you!" Nick replied, trying not to get angry. "Now come on, let's get Spots and get the hell out of here." He turned and walked towards the mansion, Judy and Julia following behind him, the hyena grumbling something to herself as she did.

Julia was less than upset. Why did this have to happen? It was all she could do to focus on her anger, rather than her sadness. She might never get to see her friend again. She gulped softly again, and clenched her eyes as they made it into the dining room, trying to keep the tears at bay. And to prevent herself from looking at the beautiful mansion. She was never going to see this place again. She was going to live with the traitor and her asshole fox… just to stay with Shenzi and out of prison. God knows what would happen to the damaged hyena if she was separated from her sister again.

The moment they entered the dining room, they found Shenzi sitting at the table with her eyes closed and her paws over her ears, shaking in fear. She didn't know what was going on, but she heard the gunshots. But it had been some time since the gunshots, so she risked opening her eyes to see Nick, Judy, and her sister walking up to her. "Nice Fox!" she exclaimed, joyous that she got to see him again. She had missed him something fierce… just like she had missed Nice Carrots.

"Hey Spots, how ya doing?" he asked, giving her a comforting smile.

Shenzi sent him a huge grin as she excitedly threw herself out of her chair, the wooden piece of furniture toppling to the ground as she stood. "Everyone is here! I'm great!" she exclaimed. "Hi Nice Carrots!"

"Hey, Spots," Judy replied, giving that same comforting smile Nick was.

"And hi… Ju-Ju… li… a… Ju-li-a," she stuttered, trying her hardest to say her sister's name.

"Yes, Julia… my name," the younger hyena said, victorious smirk on her face. She had spent the past few days trying to get her sister to say her name. It made her feel slightly better about having to leave the place she had called home for eight years.

"We're going home, Spots, what do you say to that?" Nick asked.

"I think it's great! Ju-li-a, Nice Fox, and Nice Carrots all living with me!" she exclaimed, practically squealing with joy. She liked the small apartment Nice Fox lived in, it was cozy and full of nice mammals. Unlike the mansion she was currently in, which felt too big, cold, and unwelcoming. At least her sister and Nice Carrots had been there for her.

Julia looked down at her feet, reality dawning on her. She couldn't help blinking away the tears, sniffling as she did. "I'm… I'm going to miss this place," she said, almost too softly for the other mammals to hear. It was almost over… she only had two more years left before she was a free hyena. And she had wanted to spend it here, with Wolfgang… with him paying her to work instead of being forced to by the blasted collar.

"But Ju-li-a! You'll like it with Nice Fox and Nice Carrots! They're… uh… nice!" Shenzi explained, still smiling widely.

"We'll take good care of you, don't worry," Judy said, seeing that Julia was upset.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I? They have your contract, and I want to stay with you! God knows what would happen if we were separated again…" she sighed, completely ignoring Judy. In her mind, it was that damned rabbit's fault Wolfgang had been arrested.

"I think you're also nice, Ju-li-a," Shenzi repeated, practically bursting with excitement.

"I know," the younger hyena sighed. "Fine… if we're gonna go, let's go. The longer I stay here… the more I don't wanna leave." She turned and walked towards the exit, not waiting up for the others.

"Whee!" Shenzi exclaimed, running towards the door, passing Julia as she went. While Julia had set a quick pace, her steps became hesitant as she approached the door, despite the fact her sister had already threw the old door open and rushed through it. Nick and Judy followed behind the two hyenas at a much slower pace, neither of them in a rush.

The four of them piled into one of the cruisers that had been left behind for them. There were still several officers, including Bogo himself, on the scene, taping off areas and helping haul away bodies. _Wolfgang's wrath,_ Judy reminded herself.

The white wolf had played a gambit and lost. He had hoped that him murdering his own allies would instill the fear required in his opponents to get them to retreat. But he had lost. _He lost and he's been locked up. He can't… hurt anyone else,_ the rabbit sighed to herself.

"Hey, I'd better not be sleeping on a fold-out-couch," Julia grumbled from the back of the cruiser. She sat next to her sister while Nick had taken the wheel.

"But you'll be sleeping on a couch next to meee!" Shenzi replied, stretching out the word 'me,' as she leaned up against her sister with a cheerful expression.

"Wonderful," Julia sighed. "Hey, assholes, please tell me you live in an actual home instead of an apartment." She was getting angrier and angrier the further from the mansion they went, the pain of losing her best friend making her rather pissed.

"Excuse you, but an apartment is an _actual_ home," Nick muttered as he sped up.

"Listen, Julia, we don't need your grumbling right now… but I understand why you're upset," Judy replied, frowning as she turned around to give the angry hyena eye contact.

"Do you?" Julia asked, narrowing her eyes. "I don't think ya do! Otherwise you never would've let Wolfgang be arrested!"

"Your precious Wolfgang was a fucking crook, he needed to be arrested," Nick growled as he sped up again. Judy looked down at her feet as she turned around so she wouldn't have to face Julia's accusations. _Why do I feel guilty, then?_ she wondered.

"I'm gonna be bitching for a long time, so get fucking used to it," Julia crossed her arms as she leaned back in her seat. There was no way the two of them would separate her and her sister, so she would have to settle for making their lives a living hell as revenge. "Did you see the place Wolfgang lives in? That's a fucking home right there… no shitty apartment is gonna compare to that!"

"Excuse you again for not realizing that the average mammal doesn't live in a fucking mansion!" Nick retorted, pressing his foot harder on the accelerator as he gripped the wheel with his claws. Judy glanced at the speedometer to see the needle passing sixty miles per hour. With one of his eyes twitching, Nick flicked the siren on.

"You should probably slow down, officer. You don't wanna be mistaken for one of those crooks who speeds, right?" Julia growled.

"I've got the fucking siren on!" Nick shouted, already on his last nerve with this hyena.

"J-Ju-li-a, don't be upset," Shenzi said, her ears flattening against her head. Everyone's attitudes confused her, shouldn't everyone be happy?

"Oh yes, because if a cop does it, it's not illegal, right?" Julia growled, completely ignoring her sister. "Fucking hypocrite."

"Why isn't everyone happy?" Shenzi whined, crouching lower in her seat. None of this made any sense! Nice Fox and Nice Carrots were nice! They were going to a place with no shocks and no mean animals! Why wasn't Julia happy?

"We'll be there in a few minutes," Nick muttered through gritted teeth as he slowed down just a bit for a turn.

"Because, Shenzi, it may be hard for the fox to comprehend, but Wolfgang was my friend. _My friend!_ And he was a damn good friend too! And… a good mammal. To me and everyone around him! He didn't deserve to be locked up just because he might've dabbled in something as inconsequential as arms trafficking," Julia explained. "So maybe I'm a bit pissed that I had a good life ripped from me because officer asshole betrayed him."

"Judy and I are just doing our jobs! And what do you mean _inconsequential?_ Arms trafficking is a crime!" Nick growled. Judy could only frown, not bothering to argue with the younger hyena. This was never going to work if Julia kept acting up. "Just like whatever you did to get your collar, Wolfgang committed a crime and is going to be punished for it."

"Whatever," Julia snorted. "It's too late, I suppose. But I just can't wait until they turn my collar back on. Then we'll see how long it'll take for you two to just fucking shock me."

"But Ju-li-a! Nice Fox and Nice Carrots are nice! They don't shock you, even if you make a mistake!" Shenzi protested. "Their place is a safe place free from shocks." She didn't seem to register the fact that their collars were going to be reactivated.

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Julia huffed.

"We're not going to shock you unless you constantly insist on acting up!" Judy yelled, unable to take any more of the younger hyena's bad attitude.

"There it is," Julia hissed. "That's what I thought. I wonder how long it'll take until you just start shocking me so I'll shut the fuck up? 'Cause that's the only way it's gonna work!"

"Geez oh Pete! Fine, have it your way!" Judy growled.

"We're here!" Nick shouted as he slammed on the breaks, causing all of them to lean forward as the car skidded to a halt. The fox immediately got out of the car, wanting to get as far away from this conversation as possible.

Judy followed him out nearly as quickly, but Shenzi paused to say, "I'm sorry, Ju-li-a, but you aren't acting very nice right now," before she too got out of the car.

Julia stared at the spot Shenzi had just occupied. Her sister's words caused her stomach to wrench hard, she felt like throwing up. "I need a drink," she grumbled before she stepped out of the car. How had everything been ruined so quickly?" _I guess I understand what Judy went through now. Well… is this revenge?_ she snorted to herself. _As if the universe needs to punish me specifically._

Judy and Shenzi caught up to Nick quickly, but Julia lagged behind. "Man, you have no idea how hard it was falling asleep without you here… Shenzi did a good job filling in," he turned to give Judy a wide smile, trying to lighten the mood. What happened? This was supposed to be a momentous, victorious day… and one hyena ruined it.

"Really?" Judy asked, managing a smile. "How'd ya do, Spots?"

"I slept next to Nice Fox!" the hyena replied, her good mood seemingly returning instantly.

"And when she… left… I just sat there… lying awake for three days straight. I'm so glad you're back, Carrots," Nick said, embracing Judy in a tight hug.

"Oh my gosh, Nick… you can't imagine how glad I am to hear you say that," she replied, wrapping her arms around him. "You… I actually thought I might never hear you say that again."

"I'm always going to be here for you, Carrots… no matter what happens to you, I'll always come running for you. And I don't care what happened over there in that hellhole… I'm just so glad you're back," he sniffed slightly.

They barely heard Julia grunt, "Cry me a river," behind them, but they elected to ignore it as they made their way up the stairs to Nick's apartment. Nick unlocked the door and let Judy in first.

The rabbit walked into the apartment with wide eyes, glancing around just the same as she had done when she was first invited into the fox's den. Nick had taken the time to clean the apartment after he realized that he would be rescuing her today, the room hadn't been this clean since Judy had first moved in. "I'm back… holy cow, Nick, I'm back!" the rabbit exclaimed, hopping into the apartment in joy.

Nick nodded, the joy of the situation overwhelming him. He swallowed once before embracing Judy again, picking her up off the ground as he pressed her against his chest tightly. "Let's never do that again," he sighed. "I love you, Judy… promise me you won't leave my sight again."

"I'm never ever leaving your side or your sight ever again," the rabbit promised, grinning widely as she hugged the fox once again. "But… on a side note, I'm exhausted."

"Yeah, so am I… try staying awake for three days straight," Nick let out a yawn, which was soon repeated by Judy. It was still rather early in the morning, but after all the excitement, perhaps a nap was in order. They would head back to the precinct so everyone could welcome Judy back later tonight.

"Let's go to bed, then," Judy suggested.

Nick nodded and looked over at Shenzi. "What are you going to do? You remember how to pull the couch out, right?"

"Yeah!" Shenzi exclaimed, hugging her sister, who still looked extremely grumpy.

"How about alcohol? Got a lot of that?" Julia growled, pulling away from her sister's embrace. "I've decided to get blackout drunk, and forget this whole day. Then maybe I can be happy here."

"Try the fridge," Nick muttered as he padded towards his room with Judy still in his arms before closing the door so he wouldn't have to deal with either of the hyenas. _At least Julia might be less of a bitch tomorrow,_ he grumbled to himself as he collapsed onto the bed, holding Judy against his chest as he did.

XXX

Judy's eyes snapped open several hours later. Sitting up with a low groan, she clutched her midsection. _Ooh, that hurts,_ she mumbled to herself before glancing out the window. The sun had gone down and the moon hung in the sky in its place. She blinked a few times as the pain faded.

She turned beside her to see Nick still slumbering away, snoring loudly. She chuckled to herself and shook her head, she missed falling asleep to his loud snoring. Wolfgang hardly snored at all. _No, don't think about him. It's over,_ she growled to herself, shaking her head rapidly to clear her mind of the white wolf.

She placed a paw on Nick's shoulder before shaking him gently. His eyes fluttered open slowly before turning to face her. "Morning," he yawned, rubbing away his bleariness to regard the beautiful rabbit beside him.

"It's nine o'clock at night, Nick," Judy smirked slightly. He blinked a few times, not quite getting what she was saying. But his eyes widened when he realized what that meant.

"We overslept!" he all but shouted, bolting upwards and jumping off the bed. "We were supposed to be at the precinct six hours ago!" He dashed over to his dresser and quickly gathered a clean uniform for him and Judy, laying hers on the bed, before running to the bathroom to change.

Judy dressed quickly and let out a loud sigh as Nick made it back into their room. "Man… if feels so good to have this on rather than those crummy dresses," she sighed.

"He made you wear dresses?" Nick asked, putting a paw over his heart. "The ultimate offense!"

"You have no idea," she grinned. "Believe me… this is so much better. Come one, let's hop to it!" He rolled his eyes at the poor pun, but followed her out of their room and into the living room.

"Should we grab Shenzi?" he asked as they spotted the two hyenas laying on the fold-out-couch. Shenzi was awake, but Julia was out cold.

"I wanna stay here with Ju-li-a," Shenzi grinned, pressing herself a bit harder against her unconscious sister. "You guys go without me."

"That's fine, let's move!" Judy replied cheerfully, practically bursting with excitement. The two of them left their apartment and headed straight to the precinct. The drive was thankfully short, as Nick could barely concentrate with the bouncing bunny beside him, unable to keep himself from sending huge smiles her way. They had finally been reunited as partners, and he never wanted her to forget that.

They made it into the precinct to be met by Clawhauser, still sitting behind the front desk, patiently counting the hours until his shift was through. The cheerful cheetah waved at her excitedly, "Oh, Judy! Glad you're back!"

"Hey Clawhauser!" Judy replied, padding over to the front desk. "I'm back!"

The chubby cheeta opened his mouth to say something else as the rabbit began the arduous process of pulling herself onto the desk, but both were interrupted by Bogo's voice from his office, "Hopps! Wilde!"

"I guess the chief wants to see you," Clawhauser chuckled. "We can catch up later." Judy nodded as she slid down off the desk and walked towards the stairs that would lead to Bogo's office.

They knocked on the door before opening it. Bogo had installed a second handle close to Judy's height so she would be able to enter and exit the chief's office whenever she needed, which helped Nick as well. Though the door was still heavy, she swung it open and the two of them entered the office to see Bogo sitting at his desk, hooves folded.

Papers were strewn across his desk, and he wore his reading glasses, he was obviously busy. He wore a deep frown as the two smaller mammals made it into the large chair on the other side of the desk. "Welcome back, Hopps," he started. "I thought I said be back at three, but apparently Wilde didn't get the memo." He glared briefly at the fox, who only chuckled nervously.

Judy coughed into her paw, hoping that the chief wasn't already upset at her. "We fell asleep, sir… it was my fault," she explained. "I was exhausted."

"I suppose that's reasonable," the caped buffalo sighed. "But we have work to do. As you may or may not know, Lionheart is up for reelection next week, and he plans to use our capture of the infamous Wolfgang Fritz towards his campaign."

Judy swallowed slightly, that explained why Bogo was so upset. He hated it when the mayor took credit for his work. "So… what are we going to do?" Nick asked.

"Lionheart wants us to get as much information as possible, as to shut down the rest of the Fritz empire, however… the bastard seems to be a closed book," Bogo growled, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.

Judy's ears flattened when she realized what Bogo was getting at. She had hoped that she wouldn't have to speak to Wolfgang ever again. "You want me to try and get something out of him, don't you?" she asked softly.

"Indeed, we believe he'll respond better to you," Bogo explained. "We tried using his cousin to get to him, but that only seemed to make him angry."

Judy drooped further. _Yeah, that makes sense,_ she sighed internally. "We'll talk to him, see if we can't get anything of use from him," Nick replied.

"I should warn you, however, he's a bit of an… anomaly," the chief said, leaning forward again.

"How so?"

"Despite the fact that he has refused to give us anything… he refuses to pay bail, though we believe he could easily reach the requested amount. He refuses to take any plea bargain to lower his sentence or to find some way to escape. And he has waived his right to a lawyer," Bogo explained, shaking his head. "It's just not right."

"That is a bit strange," the rabbit said, raising an eyebrow. _What is he doing?_ she wondered. "Has he made any calls?"

"No, he hasn't used his phone call yet," Bogo answered.

 _He must be waiting for me specifically…_ she realized, before she ground her teeth together. "I'll speak to him and see what I can get. I should be able to figure this all out," she affirmed.

"That brings us to one more thing before I let you do that," Bogo sighed, reaching into his desk. "You… married him, correct?"

"Er… under threats, yes," she replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"What would you like to do about your… union with him? You have options," he said.

"I was going to file for divorce eventually," she said, her ears finally perking up. _That should make me feel better,_ she smirked to herself.

"I would highly recommend that course of action," he nodded. "If you wanted… you could likely take quite a bit from him. At least to make all this worth your while."

"Oh no, I'm putting this behind me as soon as I can. I just want to.. forget," she sighed. "I don't want his money, and I don't want his house. I just want this over with. Is that all?"

"I suppose so, you're dismissed," he waved the duo away. The two smaller mammals made it out of the chief's office, shutting the door on their way.

"You know, maybe you should try and take his mansion. Then maybe Julia would shut the hell up," Nick chuckled.

They walked down the stairs and towards the lower level, were the cells were. "She'll get used to it," Judy grumbled. "I don't want to have to go to court or fight him over this. I just want to sign a piece of paper saying we're divorced, and I can get my last name back."

"I don't know if I'll get used to it, though," he sighed. "Her complaining is driving me up the wall. And she _is_ right… that son of a bitch as a very nice house." Nick couldn't help but glance down at Judy's paw to see a golden ring still firmly placed around her finger. If she wanted this to be over with, shouldn't she have removed the ring? He shook his head at that thought, _she's just forgotten about it._

They made it to the last door at the end of the hallway, opening the door slowly, it squeaking on its hinges as they walked through it. The room they entered was large and full of barred cells. The room was dreadfully empty, all except one white wolf who sat in a cell at the end of the room.

Taking a deep breath, Judy took the lead as they padded towards the cell, stopping in front of it to see Wolfgang laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Nick cleared his throat, but the wolf did not budge. "Wolfgang," Judy called out.

His ear flicked, but he still didn't respond, nor did he move. He just kept staring listlessly at the ceiling. "Did Bogo say he was being unresponsive, or just uncooperative?" Nick leaned down to whisper into her ear.

She thought for a moment before replying with, "He said uncooperative." He rolled his eyes as he stood up, the wolf was doing this on purpose then. "Come on, Wolfgang! We're here to discuss your options!" Judy called out again.

Once again, he didn't even reply, though she could swear she saw him bare his fangs before going completely unresponsive again. She huffed loudly and put her paws on her hips, trying to think of the best way to get the wolf's attention. _Maybe he wants me to do something…_ she thought to herself.

"Are we sure that's him? Maybe that's a stand-in and he escaped," Nick shrugged, squinting at the wolf in the cell.

Judy shook her head. "No, that's him for sure," she sighed. It couldn't be anyone else. The cell he was in was designed for a wolf, and yet the bed couldn't contain his full height, his feet sitting on the floor despite the fact he was laying on his back. _Maybe he wants to talk to me face to face?_ she wondered before immediately dismissing it. There was no way she was opening this cell.

She and Nick stood there, staring and glaring respectively at the white wolf, trying to figure out what to do next. It was obvious no amount to yelling would catch his attention. But Judy's ears dropped when she thought of something else. "Nick… I think I need to speak to him alone," she all but whispered.

"What?" the fox replied, looking down at her. "No! Under no circumstances am I going to leave you alone with him again!"

"Nick…"

"No! I promised I would never let you out of my sight again, and that's a promise I intend to keep!"

"Nick!" she growled, looking up at him, determination blazing in her violet eyes. "I'll be fine. He's behind bars, and I've got my gun with me. If he tries anything, I'll be ready for it. Trust me…"

He stared at her for a few moments, clenching and unclenching his jaw several times before growling, "Fine. But I'm only going to give you ten minutes." And with that remark, he padded back out of the room, shutting the door with a loud _bang!_

Wolfgang hesitated, but sat up on the bed to glare at her. "I wondered how long it would take for you to figure it out," he growled. She swallowed nervously, his eyes were dead. The fire in those amber orbs was gone.

"Now isn't the time for cryptic puzzles, Wolfgang," Judy growled. "The chief says you're being uncooperative." She was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the way he stared at her.

"Uncooperative…" he mumbled. "Perhaps, from your perspective. What would you say looking at it from mine?"

"Now isn't the time for your mind games!" she protested. "From your perspective, I'd say you need a lawyer."

"I do not require assistance," he growled. She didn't respond, only letting her ears drop behind her head. With a deep grunt, he pushed himself off the bed and padded towards the bars of the cell, towering over her small form. She took a step backwards as he gripped the bars, to protect herself if he decided to lash out at her. "How long do you think you can keep me here?"

She took another step back, as a precaution, before crossing her arms. "A week. Then you have a trial, one you're bound to lose without a lawyer," she replied.

"Would I win if I had a lawyer?" he asked, shaking his head. "A week. Do you really think you can keep me here for that long? You do realize that I am only here for as long as I wish to be. I could easily escape, post bail, cheat my way out. You forget the limits of my power. _There are none_."

Judy felt miffed. No matter what she felt about Wolfgang, and she wasn't even sure if it was anything at all, she was sure they wouldn't let him off without consequences. "Then why aren't you?" she demanded.

"Truth be told, I'm still deciding what to do," he shrugged. "Is it worth it to escape? I'd have to kill you all, I suppose. If push comes to shove, I could still annihilate the city."

"I get the feeling you don't want to do that. But why not just post your bail and never come back? If you're really as powerful as you think you are, then that shouldn't be a problem," she challenged, frowning at him. _Why am I giving him ideas?_ she pondered to herself.

"Of course I could do that," he snorted. "But I've seen the world, Judy, and Zootopia is my home. I'm not leaving, and I'm not destroying it… no matter what my gut tells me to do. You make it sound as if I haven't thought about how I'm going to get out of here."

"Have you?" Judy asked.

"I could run back home and prepare for the oncoming onslaught, killing all those who come to take me. I could find a judge, if I so wished, willing to drop the case with a little persuasion. I could threaten the mayor very easily and have him pardon me," he explained. "But I'm still trying to decide if it's worth it or not…"

"What's to decide?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at his odd behavior. _Does he really feel that defeated?_ she wondered. "Sounds like an easy choice to me… if I was in your position, I mean."

"If I barred myself in my home and defended myself against those who hunted me, that would not be living. And if I got a pardon or had my case dropped, I'd still have to kill you and everyone you loved to keep my position as king," he sighed. "Maybe I should just stay here… maybe justice deserves to win today."

"Don't get me wrong, I think you should stay," she said adamantly. "But what I don't understand why you're even considering it."

He let out a deep chuckle as amusement danced in his dead eyes. "I thought you, of all mammals, would understand. Maybe I had some sense knocked into me," he growled. "I've always known what I was doing was wrong, but I justified my actions by saying that if I didn't do it, someone crueler and harsher, more evil than I, would do it. The murder… the arms dealings… kidnapping you, now that I am alone I regret it."

"You're reluctant to escape because you've suddenly developed a conscious?" Judy asked, one of her ears sagging as she concentrated and understood his words.

"I have _nothing_ to go back to! I killed them, Judy… I killed my family, my guards, and those I had called friend in an attempt to free myself," he growled. "Do you think I can just waltz back in there and establish myself as alpha again? I am alpha of _nothing!_ And besides… I've come to understand something in my few hours here in this hell."

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What I truly want… is something that I will never be able to get. Not my empire, not my freedom, not even justice… they're all so… _worthless_ ," he growled.

"And that something you want is?" she asked, her ears standing tall on her head again. She had a sinking feeling she knew what he was talking about…

"Judy…" he sighed as he walked back over to his bed, sitting down on it. "It's you. You… you are more to me than the empire ever was. I thought I had said that multiple times. And now I get it, I really do… I cannot have you. _Ever_."

She swallowed hard. The bluntness of his confession took her by surprise. Sure, he had told her he loved her before, but this felt even more real somehow. Maybe because of what hung in the balance. "Oh… er…" she stuttered, unsure of how to respond to his words.

He didn't say anything else, though he did let out a sigh and lay down on his bed, once again staring at the ceiling. "Uh… if you can't have me, then maybe… you could just let justice take its course," she managed after a few seconds of silence. "There is still one way to get out of here, you know."

His ear flicking was the only response she got to tell her that he was still listening. "You could always tell us everything that you know. Sure, maybe you'll spend a few years in prison… but you'll be out before you know it!" she said. "Bogo and the mayor are really desperate for information… you could ask for anything."

"I am well aware of that," he snorted. "But there is no deal you can offer that will win you… there is no escape plan that I can come up with that will win you… there is nothing anyone can do. So I might as well rot here, until judgement day hath come."

Judy stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to do now. It didn't look like she was going to get anything else out of him. "Well… fine. Have it your way. I still advise you to take a lawyer, or at least considering to give up a few pieces of information," she growled, turning around, and walking away.

XXX

 **And that's another chapter down! I am very sorry for taking so long to post this, but I've been busy with school work and I was getting some glitch whenever posting chapters that prevented the confirmation emails for going out to all the people following this story. So I was pretty unmotivated to type. But I got this chapter done. So… it doesn't look like Wolfgang's running, eh? Actually, he seems pretty depressed, and I'm sure his week waiting for his trial will only make it even worse. And we get to see some of Julia this chapter. She seems pretty upset as well, and her mood seems to be effecting everyone else. She'll get used to it, I'm sure.**

 **Anyways, there are a few other things of note in this chapter, but that's for you all to find out on your own! I will say, though, that the spring semester is ending, and I'll have a few days to myself before my summer term and research deal start up, so I'll still be pretty busy over the summer. Probably not too much to type, but maybe enough that the chapters will start coming out bi-weekly. In any case, stay tuned to find out what happens next!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – To Sleep, Perchance to Dream:  
Author's Note:

 **And here we go again. For those of you who are a bit confused by the chapter title, the meaning will be clear soon enough. Hopefully. In any case, this chapter and the next chapter are probably some of the most important chapters in this arc (despite the fact that they are so early on), so I had quite a bit of fun here.**

 **Again, I'm going to address a review left by Medic. Ah, I am well aware of who Mozart is, but I was confused as to how you came to the conclusion that Wolfgang's name is referencing him. Wolfgang's name is a pun, not a reference to Mozart, and again, Wolfy cannot play the piano. Though, as I forgot to mention this before, there** ** _is_** **a character that can play piano quite well, and he shows up in this chapter…**

 **Anyways, enough of my rambling. Let's get this chapter under way! Please, enjoy!**

XXX

The days passed as they once had, as if the entire Wolfgang incident never happened, though Judy couldn't get the nagging feeling out of her mind that something was wrong. The divorce had gone through quickly, Wolfgang hadn't bothered to argue. He just signed the papers. Judy and Nick and been reconnecting quickly, and Shenzi had been a delight. She was getting better and work was helping. The duo, as well as Shenzi, had solved another two cases in the five days that had passed since Judy had been freed from Wolfgang's grasp. She had not been tempted to see him, knowing that it would hurt him even more, and would only serve to confuse her further.

Although Shenzi was getting better, Julia was getting worse. She would sleep all day, drink all night, and would often be gone in the mornings, having wandered off. No amount of comforting from her sister or Judy could help her, Nick had elected to not bother. And it was about to get worse for her.

After all of the Fritz family servants had been recovered by the courts, it was revealed that Wolfgang had deactivated a large number of his servant's collars. Judy had stepped forward, not wanting to get in trouble, that both Julia and Shenzi had their collars deactivated as well. Of course, the courts ordered for their collars to be reactivated along with all the others and ordered them to be brought in today. Shenzi was taking the news rather well… Julia… not so much.

Nick's ear flicked as he heard running water. Rolling onto his side and opening his eyes, he noticed Judy standing in the bathroom on a stool, brushing her teeth. "You're up early," he yawned, sitting up, and stretching loudly.

Judy glanced his way and spit into the sink. "Yeah, I woke up feeling ill, but I'm better now," she explained as she cleaned off her toothbrush and drank some water to wash out the toothpaste. In truth, she had woken up practically puking her guts out, but Nick didn't need to know that. She truly felt better and she didn't want him to worry.

"Are you sick?" he asked, concern evident in his tone, as he got out of bed. He noticed she was already dressed in her uniform. _She must have woken up a good hour ago if she's already ready for work,_ he noted.

"No, I'm fine," she said, spitting into the sink again. "Get ready for work, Nick." She grinned slightly as she left him the bathroom so she could go and wake up the hyenas. Nick only shook his head and shut the door, before starting the shower.

She padded into the living room and climbed onto the foldout couch, her weight not enough to disturb the two slumbering hyenas. She balanced herself on top of Shenzi before yelling, "Wake up!" as loudly as she could.

Julia sat up with a loud snarl, making Judy glad she had picked Shenzi to stand on, otherwise she would've been launched across the room. The younger hyena turned to glare at Judy through bleary eyes. "Yeah, yeah, fuck you too… I'm up," she growled before pulling herself out of bed. She clutched her head as she stumbled in her step, a harsh headache setting in.

Her appearance was disheveled, from not taking care of herself. She had stopped showering, and it was all Judy could do to get her to change into clean clothes each day. Her eyes were bloodshot, despite all the sleep she was getting, and her fur was matted all over the place.

Shenzi, on the other paw, jumped out of bed with a wide grin, after Judy had hopped off of her. "I'm all ready to go!" she announced happily. She wasn't entirely sure what they were going to be doing today, but apparently, Julia had to come along. And she was excited to show her sister all the cool things she did as a police consultant. And she thought Julia really needed to get out of the house, all she ever did was sleep! And smell bad…

Julia grumbled something as she padded into Nick and Judy's room to change clothes. They had to go out and buy new clothes for her, as she was a few sizes larger than her sister. Even though she was younger. Just as the door shut, Nick exited the bathroom in full uniform. He adjusted his tie slightly before padding over to stand next to Judy, waiting for Julia to get out of their room so they could get moving.

The hyena only took a few minutes to change before opening the door and entering the living room again. "I'm ready… let's just get this over with," she growled.

"Don't worry, this won't change anything," Judy said, trying to reassure the hyena, despite herself she was preparing herself for a scathing comment. "We still won't shock you."

 _"_ _No matter how much you deserve it,"_ she barely heard Nick mutter with her large ears. She nudged him hard, but was sure Julia didn't hear.

"I could give less of a shit about myself… I'm worried for her," Julia gestured at Shenzi, who was busy humming to herself and rocking back and forth on her heels. She was waiting patiently for them to start moving, still blissfully unaware of what they were talking about. "You know he's gonna test the collars when he activates them, both of us. We're gonna get shocked either way."

Judy blinked, having not been aware of that, uncertainty crossing her mind. "It's… it's gonna be all right," she said, trying to reassure herself more than anything. "Let's get moving." The hyenas followed the fox and the rabbit out of the door and down to their cruiser. Piling in, with Shenzi and Julia in the back, they took off towards the courthouse, where they had been ordered to bring the two collared mammals.

The drive was both blissfully silent and thankfully short, as, although she was quiet, Julia continued to glare into the back of Judy's head, her golden eyes leaking contempt. But they arrived at the courthouse without a word being said, Judy and the two hyenas getting out of the car.

But Nick didn't follow. Judy turned to give him an odd look to which, Nick gave her a shrug. "I'll just stay here and keep the car running, hopefully this won't take too long," Nick explained.

Judy rolled her eyes, but turned and walked towards the entrance to the courthouse, gesturing for the two hyenas to follow her. They headed towards the judge's office that had made the request for the reactivation. Judy opened the door and stepped in, Julia shutting the door behind her, and saw the same grizzly bear judge that had authorized Shenzi's contract sitting behind his desk. But that wasn't the only mammal of interest in the room.

There was also a curious-looking hyena leaning against one of the office walls that attracted Judy's attention. Her eyes widened when she recognized the hyena, prompting her to trot over to him. "You… you're Janja, aren't you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Oh… hey Judy!" the red-eyed hyena greeted with a small wave. "How ya been?" Julia let out a loud sigh at the sight of him, clearly recognizing him as well. But Shenzi eagerly returned the wave, causing the male hyena to raise an eyebrow.

"What do you want?" she asked accusingly, suspicious of his intentions. He was a crime lord, and they tended to do things for a reason… why was he here?

"I heard about Wolfy, sad stuff, really," he sighed. "But… I knew that I was reactivating one of his favorite pets, I had no idea she passed on to you."

"Yeah, we took Julia," Judy explained, noticing that he called the gold-eyed hyena a pet. "But you haven't answered my question, why are you here?"

"Who do you think makes the collars?" he asked quietly.

"You?" Judy asked, her ears sagging. "You… make these?"

"Yeah, I make all the collars, and I own the patents. And I'm the one who's going to be reactivating these two units," he explained. "Hey Julia," he chuckled, giving her a short wave. She only growled something incomprehensible, and looked down at her feet, clearly upset.

"You're the one who invented the collars?" Judy asked, still surprised.

"Combined effort, really. Guessing Wolfy didn't tell ya that, did he?" he snickered. "I did all the mechanical work, he provided the parts. The idea was to use them on uncooperative… 'guests,' but the legal system really took to my idea."

"What?! But… but… Wolfgang is against the collars!" the rabbit explained. _Was he lying to me?_ she wondered. "That doesn't make any sense!"

"I'm well aware of what he thinks about the collars, doesn't mean he didn't help," the red-eyed hyena rolled his eyes. "Opinions can change."

"I guess so…" she muttered. "So… what exactly are you going to be doing?" she asked, pointing at Julia and Shenzi, who only waved at the male hyena again, unsure of what else to do.

"Depends on what Wolfy's done to their collars. But hopefully I should be done in just a few minutes," he said. He gestured towards Julia, silently asking her to step forward.

"Well… if it's your area of expertise," Judy muttered as Julia swallowed loudly and stepped forward. "But don't hurt them beyond the normal test."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he chuckled as Julia kneeled down next to him. Using a screwdriver, he popped the shock box's lid off her collar and nodded to himself. "Well this one's easy enough," he sighed, pulling a spare piece from his pocket. He put the piece back in and pulled back. "He took out the battery, what a genius," Janja rolled his eyes before putting the collar together.

Julia's eyes clenched tightly as each screw was put back into place, Janja taking his time. Each passing second felt like an eternity, it was agonizing to the young hyena. It had been six years since she had last been shocked, and she could only remember it wasn't a happy experience. She remembered the moment when Wolfgang had deactivated her collar… how happy that experience had been…

Her thought was cut off by electricity coursing through her body as Janja pushed the button on the side of the shock box. A scream tore from her throat as she fell over on her side, writhing on the floor in immense pain. She clutched at the collar and tried to tear it off, but it didn't budge. The pain soon faded, but she didn't get up, choosing to lay on the floor, weeping softly.

Judy's eyes widened as she took a step back. She hadn't expected that reaction from Julia, it must've hurt more than the hyena remembered it. _It's necessary and normal,_ the rabbit tried to reassure herself. Shenzi, on the other paw, gulped loudly, beginning to quiver in place.

She let out a low whimper as she realized what was happening to her. "Uh… Nice Carrots?" she asked, almost too softly for the rabbit to hear.

"Yeah, Shenzi?" Judy replied.

Janja looked over at the two females, a grin stretching across his muzzle. "Shenzi… that's a nice name," he said. Judy's eyes narrowed as she spotted the calculating look that rose in his red orbs. _What is he thinking?_ she wondered.

"Is… is that gonna h-happen to m-me?" Shenzi stuttered innocently, tone full of worry. Julia was still laying motionless on the floor, though Shenzi could hear her whimpering.

Judy opened her mouth to answer, to try and reassure the hyena, but Janja beat her to it. "It will… unless you can make me a better offer," he said, still smirking slightly.

"Janja…" the judge warned, to which the hyena only chuckled.

"I'm still gonna fix the collar, I just won't test it," the red-eyed hyena answered. Judy raised an eyebrow, and Julia looked up to glare at the other hyena, despite the tears streaming down her face. _So… is he shocking them as a test? Or for his own amusement?_ the rabbit wondered.

Shenzi felt small, like she always did before she was shocked. It was like a relentless wave, one that wouldn't stop until it drowned her. The fear swallowed her and made her shake where she stood. But the hyena… the Mean Hyena had said he wouldn't shock her. "Yeah… uh… that," she said, pointing at Janja.

"The price for not being shocked is…" Janja smirked, and the three females held their breath, "One kiss." Judy saw the judge practically slam his head on the desk, as if he was tired of the red-eyed hyena's antics. Julia coughed loudly on the floor, sounding suspiciously like the word _'asshole.'_

"Uh… is that bad, Nice Carrots?" Shenzi asked, unsure of what he meant.

"I don't know," Judy muttered. _What's with this hyena?_ she wondered. It was a strange thing to ask for from a mammal you just met. Especially when you were threatening to shock her just a moment earlier. "If you don't want to be shocked, that's not a very high price…"

"What's a kiss though?" Shenzi asked again, the rabbit having not answered her question.

The judge didn't say anything, just let out a loud sigh of annoyance, not willing to deal with the situation. "Uh…" Judy trailed off, wondering what she should say. Janja only grinned at her, not answering Shenzi's question. It was up to her. "It's when… you touch your lips with another mammal's," she explained, though there was no good way to describe it.

"Oh, that doesn't sound bad!" Shenzi replied, perking up a bit. A kiss didn't sound like it hurt, and if it didn't hurt, then it wasn't bad. She walked over to Janja and stood in front of him. "What do I do now?"

"This," Janja grinned before leaning closer to hers, and pressing his lips against hers. Her eyes went wide, but he pulled away hardly three seconds later. "Well… I'd say that was well worth it, what do you think?" he asked with a chuckle, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Shenzi's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to answer. It didn't hurt, so it wasn't bad… but did it feel good? She wasn't sure, it didn't last long enough for her to tell. "Uh… I don't know…" she answered.

"Whatever you say," he shrugged before he put a paw on her shoulder, prompting her to kneel, and worked on taking the top off her collar's shock box. He let out a low growl before putting her collar back together. "This is going to be more complicated to fix. He removed the receiver and damaged the manual control."

"Well, can you fix it or not?" Judy asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Of course I can fix it! It's just going to take a little bit longer," he explained. "She's going to have to come with me."

"Can't she just come back later?" Judy asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn't want to leave the fragile hyena with Janja. She wasn't entirely sure what he was up to, but she couldn't be sure it was good.

"This needs to be fixed now, Miss Hopps," the judge said, picking his head up off the desk. "If Mr. Crocuta says she needs to go with him, then she will go with him."

Judy frowned, at least if Janja did anything strange, the judge would know about it. While she didn't trust Janja as far as she could throw him, she did trust the old grizzly bear judge. "Fine. When will you be back?" she asked.

"I should be finished by the time your shift ends… I'll probably have to make the parts from scratch," Janja explained. He offered a paw to Julia, who was starting to right herself, but she slapped him away. She pushed herself up and walked back over to Judy.

"All right… we'll stop by here on our way home," Judy said as they exited the judge's office. Janja nodded and led Shenzi towards the rear exit, where he had parked. Judy waved goodbye to the confused hyena before walking towards the front exit.

"You shouldn't have done that," Julia sighed as she followed the rabbit.

"I didn't have much of a choice," Judy shot back. "Besides, I don't trust Janja either. But Shenzi will tell us if he tried something… if he brings her back."

Julia only snorted as they exited the building, the cruiser already in view. She was quiet for a few more precious seconds before blurting out, "I wanna see Wolfgang."

Judy halted in her step, causing Julia to nearly trip over her. The small rabbit looked up at the hyena with a raised eyebrow. "Why?" she asked.

"Because he's my friend," Julia growled. "And I should have the right to see him!"

The rabbit ground her teeth together before sighing, "Fine… fine." That meant she would have to lead the hyena to Wolfgang. Hopefully he didn't try and talk to her.

XXX

Nick wasn't happy about it, but Judy led Julia down to the cells to speak to Wolfgang. The walk was just as foreboding as last time. Julia wrung her paws nervously as they entered the room with all the cells. She hoped Wolfgang would be happy to see her.

Judy shut the door behind her and a new sound assaulted her ears. Her ears flattened and she looked down at the floor when she realized it was Wolfgang's voice. Julia looked down at her, her ears flattening as well when she heard what he was saying.

 _"To be, or not to be, that is the question:_

 _Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer_

 _The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune,_

 _Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,_

 _And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep_

 _No more; and by a sleep, to say we end_

 _The Heart-ache, and the thousand Natural shocks_

 _That Flesh is heir to? 'Tis a consummation_

 _Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep,_

 _To sleep, perchance to Dream; aye, there's the rub,_

 _For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come,_

 _When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,_

 _Must give us pause. There's the respect_

 _That makes Calamity of so long life:_

 _For who would bear the Whips and Scorns of time,_

 _The Oppressor's wrong, the proud man's Contumely,_

 _The pangs of despised Love, the Law's delay,_

 _The insolence of Office, and the Spurns_

 _That patient merit of the unworthy takes,_

 _When he himself might his Quietus make_

 _With a bare Bodkin? Who would Fardels bear,_

 _To grunt and sweat under a weary life,_

 _But that the dread of something after death,_

 _The undiscovered Country, from whose bourn_

 _No Traveler returns, Puzzles the will,_

 _And makes us rather bear those ills we have,_

 _Than fly to others that we know not of._

 _Thus Conscience does make Cowards of us all,_

 _And thus the Native hue of Resolution_

 _Is sicklied o'er, with the pale cast of Thought,_

 _And enterprises of great pitch and moment,_

 _With this regard their Currents turn awry,_

 _And lose the name of Action. Soft you now,_

 _The fair Ophelia? Nymph, in thy Orisons_

 _Be all my sins remember'd."_

The two females came to a halt in front of his cell by the time his voice began to fade. Judy couldn't help but shiver at the chilling retelling of the soliloquy, his deep voice carrying the deep meaning of the words perfectly. He stood facing the small window in the back wall, arm outstretched towards the light source dramatically. He had his eyes closed, though he wasn't facing them, and a deep frown on his face.

 _He's losing it,_ Judy realized. She couldn't help but swallow slightly as she pondered the implications of him reciting _that_ particular soliloquy, but decided to get his attention with a simple, "Wolfgang."

His eyes snapped open and his ear twitched, but he didn't turn around to face them. "Yes?" he asked.

"Julia's here to see you," Judy said, as the hyena was just staring slack-jawed at the white wolf. Raising an eyebrow, Wolfgang turned around and saw the golden-eyed hyena staring at him.

"Julia…" he muttered before padding towards the bars of his cells. She let out a gasp and walked towards the bars as well. She reached through the bars, despite Judy calling out a warning, and Wolfgang grasped at her arm comfortingly. "You're alive?"

Julia pulled away, but didn't take any steps away from the bars. "Uh… why wouldn't I be?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought you might've died in the cross-fire…" he said seriously. "I was looking for you while I was… dealing with my family, but I couldn't find you."

"I found a good place to hide… I'm fine," she promised him. "Look, you have to get out of here! Judy took me under contract and living with her and that stupid fucking fox is hell!"

Judy frowned and looked down at her feet. But she refrained from making a snarky comment. "She did, did she?" Wolfgang asked, looking down at the rabbit. "Listen to me, Julia… I'm not getting out of here."

"Wha? Why not?!" Julia exclaimed, glaring at him. "You've gotta save me! They turned my collar back on…"

He blinked in surprise, his eyes widening slightly before he darkened again. "I'm sorry, Julia, but you're better off where you are. I'm not running, not anymore," he growled. "Stay with your sister… you only have two more years left anyways."

"But… Wolfgang… don't say it like that! It sounds like you're gonna die…" she protested. He didn't respond, but he did advert his eyes, looking down at his feet, ears flattening against his head. "W-Wolfgang?"

"I'm glad you're here, Julia," he all but whispered. "I've been selfishly holding onto my phone call, the epitome of my power… but I can't do it. I need you to do something for me. Please."

Julia blinked at the gentleness in his voice. His sudden uncertainty. The immense unhappiness in his tone. "Anything," she affirmed. He nodded once before pulling her close again, bringing his muzzle down to her ear.

Judy strained her ears, but couldn't determine what he was telling her. Julia took a step backwards when he let her go, sadness written across her muzzle. "It's really over then?" she muttered, mostly to herself. Once again, Wolfgang only nodded, causing Julia to turn and bolt towards the door.

Judy herself turned towards the door, taking only a single step, before halting. She gritted her teeth, but faced the wolf once more. "What did you mean by that? By the soliloquy and what you told Julia, I mean?" she asked.

"I've been contemplating my existence, something that I have the time and the luxury to do now," he sighed. "I've been considering my fate. Do I take life in prison? Or do I take the collar plead? What does it mean? Does it matter? I'll die either way."

"What?" Judy asked, raising an eyebrow. _So he's serious,_ she muttered internally. That meant Julia had the right to be upset. "This isn't about death, it's about what you do before you die. Do you know what you're going to do?"

"I've done all I can do," Wolfgang replied. "Now all that's left to do is rot… and die." He collapsed back onto his bed, once again staring listlessly at the ceiling.

"What… what did you tell Julia? Where did she go?" she asked, having a feeling she knew what he meant.

"She's taking the last bit of power I have left from me. Like I said multiple times, I have the means to destroy this city… but I could never bring myself to make the call. So I told her to dismantle it…" he sighed. "All I had left in this world."

"So that's your decision then?" she asked. "You're going to jail?" She didn't think it would be this easy, but there did seem to be something wrong with him. _Maybe five days of isolation had an impact on his psyche,_ she realized.

He sat up to stare at her with those dead eyes. "Surely you can see my dilemma. I might be too dangerous for jail. And I might just be too dangerous for a collar," he explained. "I've come to the conclusion that there's a good chance I'll get the death penalty. Or at the very least, to save myself the trouble, I'll ask for it."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, what?!" she exclaimed, not having expected him to outright state that he was going to beg for death. That didn't sound like him at all…

"To me… rotting in prison will net no one anything. I have plenty of old allies and enemies alike in prison that would be more than willing to test me. And you know how _that_ would end. I refuse to be a part of this blasted collar system… putting one on me would be the ultimate irony, and I refuse to allow my free will to be taken in that fashion," he growled. "Both options end in death… at least the death penalty will be swift."

"What? But… Wolfgang, you can't just kill yourself!" she exclaimed. "Life is still worth living…" Thoughts of, _Why am I bothering?_ crossed her mind, but she banished them. Now she was concerned for Wolfgang's mental health.

"Life has never been worth living!" he snarled, standing swiftly. He stalked over to the bars of his cage again and hissed, "I realize that now. I was _empty_ for the longest of times… and I never realized it until I met you. Until I took you, I was just going through the motions. I _thought_ that I had something to live for in that time, but it was just a façade. I had _nothing_ until I fell for you. And now… I still have nothing."

"But… uh… there's still all your life left! Those emotions… they can return," Judy said, grasping at straws. Somehow, she couldn't stomach the idea of Wolfgang dying. That it would be _her_ fault he gave up. That it was _her_ fault he lost the will to live.

He slipped down so that he was on his knees. Although he still hovered over her small frame, he looked significantly small as he gave her a haunted look. "They can never return. You gave something to me… Judy. Lit a fire within me… and now it's damp and cold in my soul, where the fire can no longer prosper," he all but whispered. "Would you be willing to pull the trigger? Like you should have done… all those days ago." He glanced down at the gun at her hip with an almost hopeful expression.

"What?! Wolfgang, I'm not going to kill you!" she exclaimed, stepping backwards, as if she was afraid he would try and snatch her weapon and do the deed himself. _Note to self, put him on suicide watch… this isolation has gotten to him somehow,_ she thought. "You don't know what the future holds, you can't give up on… on the basis of losing hope."

" _Can't I?_ " he snarled. "I had been dead for so long, until you lifted me from the grave… now that I'm staring it in the face once again, I beg you! Don't let me wallow in this despair for longer than I have to…"

She stood there silently, staring at him as she tried to find an appropriate response. "Well… what about the collar? That's about as close to living as you'll get… your life can change. It would suck, but… uh… you don't know what the future holds," she said, trying to get him to change his mind. She was still deeply disturbed by his sudden shift in tone. _This isn't the Wolfgang I thought I loved…_

"Never," he snarled. "I won't allow the universe to spit in my face because of my mistake! One that I have spent so long trying to rectify… only to find that all my hard work has been undone. How dare you even suggest that?! Living underneath a collar is not living. It's worse than being dead, because at least then you aren't alive to experience it!"

"How dare I try and keep you from dying? How dare I not just stand idly by and watch a wretched soul cast himself to the depths?" she growled, starting to take on his verbosity and mannerisms. "I'm not going to let you kill yourself, Wolfgang."

He glared at her as she turned to walk away, her ears flat against her back. "If you won't do it, someone else gladly will!" he called out just as the door closed.

XXX

Nick wasn't at all disturbed by Julia running off on her own, nor did he care that Wolfgang planned to get the death penalty. "That's one way to keep him from causing trouble," was his only response when Judy told him. She hadn't responded, still unsure of why she had a problem with it.

The duo had spent their time solving another case, a simple robbery that had ended in a brief police chase, but they managed to seize the perp nonetheless. After they had finished writing their reports, they headed once again to the courthouse to pick up Shenzi. If Janja had actually brought her back.

The drive was short, as the courthouse wasn't far from the precinct. Nick pulled into a parking space and Judy got out of the car, once again electing to go alone, and let Nick keep the car running. But, as she walked up to the steps of the courthouse, she found that it was entirely unnecessary, as she spotted both Shenzi and Janja waiting on the steps.

Shenzi gave her a happy wave, jumping to her feet, and rushing down the stairs, Janja following behind her with a smirk on his muzzle. "So… you came," Judy said as Shenzi came to a stop in front of her, smiling widely.

"Uh… would I not? What gave you that impression?" Janja asked, raising an eyebrow. "In any case, like I promised, the collar is active and untested. Go wild."

"Right… well, goodbye then," Judy said shortly, turning around to get away from the hyena.

She only managed to take a step before Janja stopped her. "Hold on, wait a moment!' Janja grinned. "You didn't answer my question. What makes you think I'm a bastard like Wolfy?"

 _I see he has that inane need to have his stupid questions answered just like Wolfgang,_ Judy grumbled internally. She spun around with a sigh and said, "You're a crook. That's how I see it."

He burst out laughing, causing Judy to take a step back and for her ears to drop behind her head. Shenzi, however, laughed along with Janja, his laughter infectious. "Am I?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "In what way am I a criminal?"

Judy blinked a few times, not sure how to answer that. "You're, or you were, in bed with Wolfgang," she explained, crossing her arms. "He was a criminal, that makes you a criminal."

"Don't say it like that, that makes it sound… wrong," he shook his head. "But no, I was not 'in bed' with Wolfy. We're friends! I only deal with collars, which, may I remind you, are completely legal."

"Whatever," she grumbled. "Even being friends with Wolfgang makes you suspicious. He was able to hide from the law for a long time, maybe you are too."

"Yeah, yeah, you cops are all the same. I'm a crook, you're a crook, we're all crooks… sue me. I hope, however, that you decide to change your mind about that. God knows Wolfy tried," Janja shrugged. "And I hope you know that I'll be keeping an eye on Shenzi… she's quite the gem."

"He said I was a gem!" Shenzi exclaimed, still smiling happily. "That's good, right?" she asked, just to make sure. She liked the Nice Hyena, he wasn't mean like she thought.

"Yeah, it's good," the rabbit replied. _At least, I hope it is,_ she muttered internally. "Right, then. I guess we'll see you around, Janja." And with that, she turned around and led Shenzi back to the cruiser.

The red-eyed hyena waved as they drove away before letting out a deep sigh. Shenzi was indeed a gem. Quite a valuable, and fairly attractive, if slightly damaged gem. He snorted to himself as he made his way back up the steps of the courthouse. He had some work to do…

Judy couldn't help but ponder on what the hyena had said as they headed back towards their apartment. The sun started to dip below the horizon behind them, but her mind was too preoccupied to look at the beauty painted across the sky. She was so concentrated, that she barely noticed when the car came to a stop and Nick got out.

She blinked a few times, hesitating, before he shot her a concerned look that prompted her to get moving. They made it up the stairs and to the door to their apartment, but they found that the door was already unlocked. They traded glances, and realized that Julia must've come back and left the door unlocked.

Hoping that nothing was stolen, Nick opened the door and let himself in to see Julia laying on the foldout couch, staring at the ceiling. The fox rolled his eyes and headed off towards his room to change clothes, but Judy padded over to the hyena and hopped onto the foldout. "So… I take it you're done?" she asked, sitting down next to Julia's laying form.

"So Wolfgang told you what I was doing?" the hyena asked, not turning her head to look at the rabbit. "Yeah… it's done. I got a few nonresponses, but hopefully they got the message. It should all be… done and done."

"So… it's really over?" Judy muttered, mostly to herself. She spotted Shenzi wandering over to the kitchen and opening the fridge, pulling out a jug of milk. She had requested several times for the rabbit to buy her milk, and Judy relented, despite how expensive the drink was.

"Yeah…" Julia trailed off, before sucking in a breath and turning to face Judy. "Are you feeling well?" she asked.

Judy blinked a few times. "Yeah, uh… why do you ask?" she said slowly.

"I heard you throwing up rather loudly this morning," Julia deadpanned. "And I've been noticing you waking up earlier and earlier to take pills in the kitchen."

"I thought you were asleep…" Judy trailed off, looking down at her feet, which hovered over the ground.

"Are you kidding? I haven't slept a wink since I got here," Julia growled. "This bed is fucking uncomfortable and Shenzi kicks in her sleep."

"Oh," was the rabbit's only response. "Well… it's probably just a stomach bug. I feel fine, honestly!"

Julia looked concern for a moment, before letting out a deep sigh. "Look… I don't feel like saying you fucking deserve it. I saw Wolfgang… he looked pretty upset about the whole thing, but he's done. If he truly wanted… he could escape, but he isn't. I guess… I guess I'm over it. I doubt my liver can take much more, anyways," she chuckled. "I want you to go and see a doctor tomorrow… Wolfgang's treat," she grinned, holding up a golden credit card.

Judy's eyes widened as she recognized the card Wolfgang had given to Julia to purchase their wedding supplies. "You still have that?" she asked, before shaking her head. "Never mind. It's an awfully nice gesture, Julia… but it's just a stomach bug. It'll go away soon."

"It's clearly persistent, right? What if it's the flu? Or something worse! Better to get it checked out sooner rather than later…" the hyena argued.

"Well… I guess you're right," Judy sighed. "Better sooner than later, but I'm sure it's nothing." She plucked the credit card from Julia's paws and slipped it into her pocket, already planning on heading down to a clinic tomorrow morning right before work.

"I hope it's nothing," Julia sighed. They stared at each other for a few moments, before Julia eventually said, "I'm sorry I've been such a bitch."

"Well, I guess we did put you in a less than ideal situation… moving you to here from there," Judy shrugged.

"It's not just that. I really loved Wolfgang… as a friend, because that's all he'd let me be… and I truly thought that he was unbeatable. I guess having your reality crashing down on you… isn't quite as easy to swallow as I thought," Julia muttered. "At least I still have Shenzi… she looked really happy when she got back. Is… is there something I need to know?"

"Well… Janja brought her back without a problem. And he didn't shock her, just like he promised," Judy replied.

"Oh, that's good," Julia trailed off. "I really thought he wouldn't bring her back… he's… he's so strange. Tell me that I'm not wrong. There's something off about that hyena…"

"There's definitely something wrong with that hyena… but I couldn't tell you what it might be," Judy confirmed. "He did, however, call Shenzi a gem and say he would be keeping an eye on her. If I had to guess, I'd say he's attracted to her… and we'll be seeing more of him in the future."

"Huh… well… huh," was all Julia could say. "I just hope we can trust Shenzi to tell us if he tries anything with her."

"Yeah," Judy sighed as Nick exited their bedroom. She pushed herself off the foldout and approaching him. "Hey, Nick," she said, getting his attention.

"Yes?"

"Can you run out and buy me some chocolate?" she asked, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes.

"Chocolate?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Er… why?"

"I don't know… I just feel like having chocolate," she chuckled.

"Uh, sure… yeah, I'll be right back, then," Nick said, heading towards the door. There was a gas station not far from the apartment that likely sold plenty of chocolate. And he wouldn't have to drive anywhere.

Judy nodded and headed into their bedroom to change. Julia, on the other paw, got off the bed, and walked up to Nick. "I'm coming too. You guys are out of booze, and I'd like something other than milk to drink," she chuckled.

"Fine, just don't empty my pockets over this," Nick sighed, opening the door, and shutting it behind him.

"I'm done drowning myself in my sorrows," Julia explained as she followed him. But, as she walked to the gas station, she couldn't help but think about how weird today had been. And how there was definitely something wrong with Judy.

XXX

 **Ah, yet another chapter done. This one was a bit short, and I finished it quite quickly. But it was a fun one nonetheless! There's only two things of note I'd like to talk about. The first is Wolfy. You should have noticed his sudden change in tone in this chapter. A lot of you were concerned about his arrogance and his ego, why would anyone call themselves 'invincible?' and whatnot. But now you really see how fragile he actually is, and it only gets worse for him. The last refuge of a man with nothing left is death, after all. And although it might seem cruel for him to ask for Judy to kill him, it is in line with his basic principles. Reread chapter six if you're confused.**

 **But the other thing of note is the character known as Janja. This is the first time he's appeared and had his name be mentioned in the same scene (though he also appeared in chapter nine, and was mentioned several times by name before and after that chapter). If you couldn't already guess by his words, he's going to be popping up again. In fact, he's going to be a major character in these last two arcs. And he seems to be attracted to Shenzi as well… I wonder what that holds for our dear, damaged hyena? Stay tuned until next time to find out!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – My Wings Have Been So Denied:

Author's Note:

 **So… a lot of you guessed it last chapter, so I must've made it pretty obvious (though one of you managed to guess it immediately after it happened, so props to you). I won't say anything to those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about (or are too lazy to read the reviews, though I can't really blame you there). Anyways, there wasn't much to comment on from the reviews of last chapter, nor is there anything special to note in this chapter, so we can move right along. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Judy rolled over, her eyes snapping open as she did. She briefly grasped her stomach before hopping out of bed and making her way towards the bathroom. She felt ill. _Very_ ill. She barely managed to get into the bathroom and get to the toilet before she began puking her guts out. The retching sound was loud, causing Nick to stir in his sleep, though his eyes did not open.

Judy panted as she did her best not to look at the vomit. Looking only made her want to throw up more. And, with that churning feeling in her stomach, she figured she wasn't done yet. She nudged the door shut with her foot and flushed the toilet, though she didn't stray far, knowing that it'd be happening again.

She crinkled her nose as the scent of the vomit began getting to her, not to mention her stinging throat from the acid. These passed six days had been hard on her. The mornings were always the worst, but then she felt fine throughout the rest of the day. But, as her stomach heaved and she began throwing up again, she admitted to herself that she was indeed sick.

Now thankful that Julia had given her Wolfgang's credit card, she flushed once again and waited a few minutes as the stomach ache went away. Nodding to herself when she felt better again, she brushed her teeth and hopped into the shower and scrubbed her fur clean. She sprayed the bathroom down with an air freshener, hoping that Nick wouldn't notice the acidic smell. She didn't want him to worry.

She exited the bathroom to see Nick still slumbering faithfully as always, blissfully unaware of her absence next to him. She smiled softly at him for a few seconds before getting dressed in a clean uniform, slipping on her vest and her belt. She took a deep breath and decided it would be best to tell Nick where she was going, just in case she didn't get back before he woke up. But she had woken up obscenely early just so that wouldn't happen.

She padded over to him softly and grasped his shoulder, shaking him lightly. "Nick," she whispered, helping rouse him from his sleep.

His green eyes fluttered open slowly to regard her blearily. "Judy? What is it?" he yawned, flashing her his teeth, though he didn't bother sitting up.

"I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back before our shift, but if I'm not, then I'll meet you at the precinct," she explained, knowing that he wouldn't question where she was going in his exhausted state.

"Okay… just be careful," he said before rolling over and shutting his eyes again. She chuckled softly before leaving the room. She walked through the living room, making her steps as purposefully light as possible to prevent waking up Shenzi or Julia.

But Shenzi was snoring loudly, and Judy doubted that, even if Julia was awake, she would be able to hear the rabbit's soft footfalls even if the light bunny tried stomping through the living room. But as Judy opened the door, Julia sat up.

Judy glanced at the hyena, remembering that she had said she wasn't sleeping at all, before walking through the doorway and closing the door quietly behind her. Julia nodded to herself, realizing that the bunny was just going to the doctor like she had requested, and lied back down. She closed her eyes again and begged for sleep to come. And miraculously, it did.

XXX

The days passed with slow, never ending agony. The cell was small and he was alone. Alone with nothing but his thoughts. And that fact took a toll on the man, slowly breaking him down bit by bit. Piece by piece. Until he was no more. Just an empty shell, a shadow of his former self.

The more he thought, the worse it got. _Truly tragic,_ he thought to himself as he reflected upon his mistakes, his missteps, and his failures. They constantly rattled around in his mind, reminding him of how he got into this mess in the first place. And yet he couldn't find anyone else to blame but himself. And it wasn't like he could just stop thinking.

He tried, he really did, for the first few days to fantasize about being somewhere else. What he would change if allowed to go back. He pleaded, he begged, and he bargained to whatever deity would listen, though he knew he never really believed in any. _Perhaps that's why my prayers were never answered,_ he thought to himself. But he had long given up his worthless begging when he realized that it wouldn't work.

He had discovered a dilemma of sorts. He couldn't stop thinking, or he would cease to be himself. But he couldn't keep thinking either. Otherwise he would cross the line between sanity and insanity and lose his mind. And he could tell he was close, he had already begun talking to himself, something he had never did when he had his power. _Though what good was that power if I'm still stuck here?_ the thought invaded his mind, though he pushed it away. If there was one thing he discovered about himself was that he was so _dreadfully_ boring.

No, the only reason he had yet to lose his mind was because he still had control over one thing. That last little bit of control over his life gave him the tiniest amount of comfort, just enough to keep him sane. Though what he was going to do with that miniscule amount of power would no doubt make him insane in everyone else's eyes. Not like he cared what anyone else thought… especially now.

His only reverie was the fact that death was just around the corner… soon he would be no more. The more and more he thought, the more he realized that he had to let this end. This madness, this suffering, this isolation… how was this fair? He had always prided himself on being fair. Maybe not just, but then again, was this anymore justice than what he dished out? Perhaps not, but he was always fair.

He took a deep breath as he stared at the ceiling of his small cell, wallowing in the silence and melancholy. Today was his last day. Tomorrow he was going to be tried, and he was going to be executed. He would make sure of it. He had done his time! He had done his suffering! Now was the time for mercy. _She_ was his mercy… _she_ was his saving grace. _I need to try once more… to get her to end me,_ he sighed to himself. _Be all my sins remember'd._

His ear flicked when he heard the heavy door that led to all the cells open and close. _Must be lunch time,_ he sighed to himself as he sat up and put his back to the bars of the cell. The food they had been giving him he ate reluctantly, knowing there was no point in not eating. Starving was not an easy death, nor would it come quickly.

He strained his ears to hear the footsteps of the heavyset cheetah who usually brought him his meals, but he couldn't hear them. He briefly considered the idea that Bogo had sent a different guard to taunt him, though he immediately dismissed that notion when he heard the mammal speak. "Hey Wolfgang," Judy's voice was unmistakable. Though… there was something wrong with it.

Her tone was heavy and dull. Lifeless even. More so than Wolfgang's eyes as he turned around to regard her. He knew that she would be coming back, but he didn't think he would see her until the day of the trial. But this was good… she seemed down. _Maybe she's finally accepted the inevitable… and will be willing to put me down,_ he thought to himself as he addressed her with, "You came back."

"Of course," Judy muttered, her expression joyless. He managed to raise an eyebrow, his interest finally piqued after so long in isolation, just a bit curious as to why she was so depressed. He had never seen her this low. "What's new with you?"

"Rotting, slowly dying, being consumed by the void… mercy being just a step away, tauntingly cruel, watching over me from just outside my reach," he sighed.

"Wonderful," she grumbled. "I came back to see if I can change your mind."

"You won't be able to. But conveniently, I wanted you to come back so I could change _your_ mind. Are you going to put me out of my misery?" he asked softly.

"No. I would never kill you, Wolfgang," she replied immediately, shaking her head. "I'm advising you to take the collar."

"And why not? Not even when I beg for it? And you do realize that advising me to take the collar is like spitting in my face. You hold my life in your paws, and you choose to plunge me into a hell worse than death?" he asked incredulously.

She snorted loudly, completely undeterred by his words. No matter what, she was going to convince him to take the collar. "Oh yeah. I'm spitting in your face when I tell you to stay alive," she replied.

"Have you learned nothing from your time with me? Death is mercy… I had thought you finally accepted that. It seems your foolishness knows no bounds if you have forgotten so soon," he growled.

She let out a hollow chuckle, the sound reverberating off the cold, stone cell walls that would have chilled any mammal to their core. But Wolfgang remained indifferent. "Right. I'm the foolish one for trying to save your fucking life," she said sarcastically, smiling, though not at all warmly.

"Maybe some lives don't deserve to be saved. You said so yourself," he growled, crossing his arms.

"Well maybe some do," she retorted, mirroring his actions by crossing her own arms. "How do you know yours isn't?"

He gave her a strange look, raising an eyebrow while cocking his head in confusion. "What do you mean? If anyone deserves to die… it's me, right? If anyone has the right to claim that, it's you… right?" he asked. "Now you're just taunting me."

"I'm not taunting you, Wolfgang! I know you wonder if all our lives were put in place to fulfil some sort of plan or if we just blunder around in the dark, never seeing the light! I don't know the answer, but if it's the first, then fate plays the cruelest of jokes imaginable," she growled.

He ground his teeth together as he heard those words. "You sound a bit too much like Janja for comfort. If it is the former, then it is my fate to die. And I had hoped it would be by your paws… you tiny… little paws," he said, all but whispering those last few words.

Judy stared at him for a long while, a demented grin on her face. "I went to see the doctor today," she said suddenly, after several minutes of silence.

"Are you ill?" he replied immediately, still concerned for her wellbeing.

"Not exactly. I went to see the doctor because I had a little stomachache, that was all," she said, downplaying how bad it really had been. "A routine checkup, really. The doctor took some scans, listened with his stethoscope, and took a bit of blood, then he told me to wait for a few minutes while he looked at the results."

He stared blankly at her as she paused dramatically. "He came back only a few minutes later. And… do you know what he told me… _do you know what he fucking told me?!_ " she shouted suddenly, catching Wolfgang off guard, who flinched slightly. She looked furious, her little paws clenched in tight fists.

"No," Wolfgang answered simply, yet truthfully. He had no idea what could've worked her up so much.

"No! Of course you don't! Of course you don't, you fucking bastard! But don't let me get ahead of myself! This is a fucking _joyous_ moment!" she shouted, still absolutely furious.

She sounded very angry… maybe she was changing her mind about killing him. _I certainly hope so,_ he chuckled internally. "I'm still lost," he sighed.

"He told me… he told me that… that I was…" just as suddenly as it came, all the fire left Judy. She walked towards the bars of the cell and slumped down to her knees, clutching the bars with her paws. She looked down at her lap as her ears sagged. And when she spoke, her voice was infinitely small, so much so that he could hardly hear her. But hear her he did. "He told me that I was pregnant," she whispered softly.

Confusion burst forth within his soul, _What?_ he managed to muster in his mind. He could barely comprehend what she had just said. Pregnant? How? There was no… way. It wasn't possible… no, no, no! He shook his head and stood from the bed, taking a few steps back as he did. "What?!" he managed to say, aloud this time.

She looked up at him, her eyes tearing up. "Pregnant," she repeated herself. "And it's yours." It couldn't be anyone else's. She had only fucked one man. Him.

"Don't _lie_ to me!" he hissed. He wasn't sure what else to say. Was she really that desperate for him to live? It didn't make any sense!

"I'm not lying Wolfgang," she replied, shaking her head. "Why would I lie about this?!"

"I don't know… but I do know that it's not possible!" he growled, shutting his eyes tightly and shaking his head rapidly, as if willing her to disappear. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to kill him, not be the mother of his child!

She shrugged. "That's what I thought too," she replied, sniffling as a tear streaked down her cheek. They hadn't used protection either of the times they had sex, both of them believing that it was impossible.

He gritted his teeth as he tried his damnest not to give a damn… but that old fire came roaring back to life, his amber eyes finally showing something other than hatred or depression in days. "Are you going to keep it?" he growled out.

"W-wha? Of course I'm gonna keep it!" Judy shouted indignantly, outraged that Wolfgang would even consider getting rid of this mistake. "It's _our child_ Wolfgang! Mine… and yours…"

He let out a deep breath. Of course, he wasn't going to be rid of this mistake easily. This was something he would have to live with… or hopefully die with. "Then what do you want to do about it?" he finally sighed. This was happening… he… he wasn't sure what to do.

"I don't know Wolfgang. I don't know! I don't know what to do! I never thought I'd… I just… I never thought that… I never wanted this to happen!" she shouted, more tears flowing from her eyes. She was on the verge of a breakdown, panicking at the idea of being a mother when she wasn't ready. She would never be ready.

"Do you think _I_ wanted this to happen? I thought this was impossible, if I had known…" he trailed off.

Judy sniffed loudly, now crying uncontrollably. "It's just th-that… I don't know w-what to do!" she cried out. "You're the father b-but how's that supposed to w-work? How do I raise a child?! How do I h-help it? W-what's it even going to l-look like?"

"And you think that I know? I had never even pondered the _idea_ of a relationship until you came tumbling onto my table, let alone a _child!_ " he snarled. "What does your fox 'friend' say? What about Julia? I'm sure they would help more than I possibly could!"

"I haven't told them yet!" she sniffed, still crying, though she was calming down a bit. "What'll they say? What'll they do… oh god… what if Nick leaves me?! What am I going to do?!"

His ear flicked as he heard her say that she hadn't told them yet. Which meant… _She came running to me first,_ he realized. "I don't know," he admitted, sitting back down on his bed, now completely defeated. Her concerns weighed heavily on him… and this was entirely his fault. _Will I be able to leave this world in good conscious knowing what I have wrought?_ he pondered. "Julia will be helpful, at least. I can't say for sure about that fox."

"But Wolfgang…" she sobbed, feeling absolutely horrible. "It's… it's you that I need. You're the father."

"I think it might be best that you and the fox raise it without me. I am… unfit to be a father," he sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"N-no! Wolfgang, I need help!" she cried, hugging her knees to her chest. "I need your help! I don't know what to do… if you get t-the collar… I can take you! You can help me!"

"Calm down… think carefully…" he said softly, sucking in a deep breath, and letting it out slowly. "What would I be able to do? Would I be any better than the fox? What would the child think when he realizes his father is nothing more than a collared criminal, shackled to its mother like some sort of slave?"

"That doesn't matter," she sobbed. "Won't you help me? Who cared what the child thinks of you? Why can't you see that I need you?"

"It would be better for the child's future if I'm dead," he all but whispered. "You're only thinking of yourself."

"D-don't say that Wolfgang!" she begged, hugging her legs even tighter against her chest. "Why… why are you so adamant about dying?! Isn't there any part of you that still… still loves me? A part of you that says you should help me?"

She watched as he stood and padded over to the bars, collapsing to his knees just as she had, grasping his head in immense pain as he attempted to ration out what he should be doing. She watched, tears in her eyes, as he practically tore himself apart in front of her. "There… I will always love you. But you will never love me… is that really fair? To me… or to the child?" he asked softly. "I had decided, several days ago, that I would not stand for this! That I would die peacefully without a struggle, because if I did not, it would make me a hypocrite! I would die… I need… to… die…"

"No, Wolfgang, you don't!" Judy shouted, sniffling slightly as she wiped her eyes free from tears. "This isn't about love… it's about the child. The child _you_ sired!"

He let out a loud cry of anguish and slammed his head against the iron bars. "If I take the collar deal… and you pick me up as my contractor… what will happen to me?" he asked. "I don't think you're thinking this through."

"What do you mean what happens to you? What happens to every collared individual? You help us… you help me," she sobbed again.

"You are very naïve if that's what you truly believe happens to every collared individual," he snorted. "As if you need _my_ help. What about living arrangements? What will the fox say? What about Julia, Shenzi, your coworkers? What if this puts a target on your back?"

"So what?" she sniffed. "Wolfgang… I need you. I need you a lot. Why can't you just understand that?!"

"You only seek comfort… not help. You don't need my help, and you don't need my comfort," he sighed. "You have answered none of my concerns… you have not considered the ramifications of what is truly happening here."

"You're wrong. I don't _want_ your help. And I don't _want_ your comfort," she growled. "But I do _need_ it! Why can't you just help me?!"

He reached through the bars slowly and, as best he could, pulled her close to him. Despite her flinching at first, she relented and let him drag her closer to him. "I'm trying to process this the only way I know how. Judy… I'm worried. Not for me, but for you. I'm worried that you don't understand what's going on. I'm worried that you haven't thought this through. I'm worried that this is all my fault," he said softly. "I am… so sorry…"

Judy hugged Wolfgang's arms tight, tears beginning to flow again. They stayed that way for a few moments before Judy spoke up, "Wolfgang… please… I'm trying, you know that I am. I'm just confused, even more than Shenzi usually is. I don't know what to do… the only think I could think of was you."

"Is… is that all you really want from me? You just want me to be by your side… and that's it?" he asked softly. "I cannot promise anything, at all. I warned you… I warned you that I would not be suitable for this task. But if you so wish… do you really want me to take a collar plead, after everything that I've said?"

"Yes! Wolfgang, I need you," Judy sobbed once again, hugging his arm tightly. "Isn't that what you wanted? Something to rekindle your emotions in the emptiness?"

"I wanted a bullet in my skull," he chuckled darkly. "But I suppose this will do."

"You're going to take the collar then?" she asked, looking up at him with hope brimming in her bright purple eyes, that had reddened slightly due to her crying.

"I will take the collar. But not for me. For you," he sighed in defeat, pulling away from her, and standing again.

She smiled widely, happy that she had gotten him to change his mind. "Thank you Wolfgang… thank you," she managed before tears began to leak from her eyes again. Though these were tears of happiness.

"Yes… will you be there for the trial? It is tomorrow after all," he asked.

"Of course I will," she replied. "I'm going to make sure you get the collar… I'm going to make sure you come home with me tomorrow."

"When will you tell your friends?" he asked softly. "Don't shove that on me…"

"I'm telling them today. Right after my shift is over… I hope… I hope they won't take it too badly," she sighed.

"Well neither of us did wonderfully. Maybe the fox will kill me in my sleep," he snorted at the idea.

"He might," Judy chuckled dryly. "It's going to take forever to convince him that this is a good idea…"

"Start with Julia. She'll take it the best, probably… if she doesn't tease you to death, that is," he said, finally managing a small grin.

"Yeah… she _would_ do that," Judy shook her head.

"Scoot along now, Judy dear," he sighed, sitting back down on his bed. "I've been harassed by you enough for one day. It seems as if that's what I'll be dealing with from now on. Go tell your friends the great news. And if any of them have a problem with it… they know where to find me."

XXX

Judy went about her shift constantly glancing nervously at Nick. A few times she worked up the courage to say something, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. If Nick knew something was wrong, he never said anything. In the end, Judy resigned herself to wait until after their shift. Then, at least, if Nick exploded with anger then he wouldn't have a gun on him. And besides… she could start with Julia, like Wolfgang suggested.

Nick and Judy made it back to his apartment after a _long_ twelve-hour shift. She was absolutely exhausted, but she couldn't relax now. Otherwise she'd just forget about what she needed to do. She changed into more comfortable clothes quickly, throwing on an old pair of athletic shorts and a white t-shirt before leaving Nick alone to change in his room.

She made it into the living room to see Shenzi picking up random pieces of trash and dirty clothes that she and Nick often left around the house. Julia sat on the bed, staring off into the distance, not helping her sister, even if Shenzi had asked for it. "Hey… Julia, can you come with me?" Judy asked, hopping up onto the foldout bed.

The hyena looked over at her with a loud yawn. "Yeah, sure, lead the way," she sighed, cracking her neck, and standing.

"Right… just out here in the hall," Judy said softly, padding towards the door. Shenzi waved at them, unsure of what they were doing, but she didn't inquire verbally, as she was too busy cleaning. Judy and Julia stepped outside of the apartment, shutting the door behind them.

The hour was late and the hallway was deserted, everyone locked within their own apartments sleeping soundly. _This'll do_ , Judy sighed internally. As much as she wanted to drag Julia out of the city and run into a completely deserted location to make sure absolutely no one could overhear her, this would have to do. She turned to look at the hyena, who was waiting patiently for her to say something, and swallowed apprehensively. "Okay… uh… man, this is always harder than it sounds," she muttered.

"How'd the doctor's appointment go? I assume that you're dragging me out here because something happened, right?" Julia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Judy covered her face with her paws, her ears dropping behind her head. "Something happened all right," she gulped loudly.

"What?" the hyena asked, now slightly concerned. "Are you sick? Do you have a disease? Tell me you don't have a disease!"

"No! No… it's kinda the opposite of a sickness… uh…" Judy paused, trying to figure out the best thing to say. In the end, she could only blurt out, "I'm pregnant."

Julia cocked her head in confusion. "Really?" was her only response.

"Yeah… you know because of who," Judy muttered.

"Huh… I didn't think that was possible," Julia shrugged. "Well… good job, I guess."

"That… that's it?" Judy asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's all you're going to say?"

"Should I be saying something else?"

"Uh… I don't know… I guess I expected some jokes out of you, actually."

"Because you fucked Wolfgang without protection and now you're dealing with the consequences?" Julia asked, small smirk on her face. "That's all the joke I need."

The rabbit snorted and rolled her eyes. "Now I just need to tell Nick…" she trailed off, a sudden feeling of hopelessness rising up within her. _Why did this have to happen?_ she asked herself for the thousandth time that day. "I have no idea where to even start…"

"And you want my help?" Julia asked, her ears perking up with excitement. She had the perfect plan.

Judy looked up at the hyena with a sigh. She didn't like the sound of that… but she didn't have much of a choice. "If you could," she all but whispered.

"Alright, come with me then," Julia growled, suddenly serious as she grabbed Judy by the paw and began dragging her back into the apartment. Shenzi looked up with a questioning look on her face when the apartment door opened and closed rather loudly. She wasn't expecting them to be back so soon.

 _They must've not gone anywhere… then why leave?_ Shenzi wondered, unsure of what to make of it. But her sister did look very angry. Was she upset? "What's happening Ju-li-a?" Shenzi asked, giving her sister a worried look.

"Follow me, sister," Julia said slowly, still dragging Judy towards Nick's bedroom. Shenzi's ears flicked, but she followed her sister nonetheless. Julia stopped at the doorway, Judy held in front of her, her sister behind her. She opened the door to find Nick just starting to take off his uniform after a long day's work.

He glanced over at them when the door opened, thankful that he wasn't completely naked. _I have to remember to lock the door,_ he thought to himself. He left it unlocked in case Judy ever wanted to sneak a peek… not for the hyenas to come barging in. But then he noticed his bunny being held in front of the younger hyena. "Oh, hey… Julia, Judy, Shenzi… what're you guys doing?" he finally asked, raising an eyebrow as he did.

Julia looked down at Judy with a wide grin, causing the bunny to gulp audibly once again. But she let out a yelp when the hyena shoved her into the room, screeching, " _Judy's pregnant!_ " before slamming the door closed and holding it tight. "Quick! Grab the handle, help me keep the door closed!" she yelled to her sister. Shenzi immediately complied, grabbing her sister's paw, and helping her keep the door closed.

Judy's jaw dropped in horror and she quickly hopped over to the door and started yanking on the handle in an attempt to wrench the door open. But the two hyenas were much stronger, keeping her shut in that room with a stunned Nick. Judy gave up not a moment later, paling as she turned to look at the fox.

His eyes widened almost comically as his mouth dropped open. "You're _what?!_ " he all but shouted.

Judy glanced back at the door, but looked back at Nick after reminding herself that there was no escaping this situation. "Uh… Nick, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she shouted quickly, taking a step back, though there was nowhere to run.

"Pregnant? But… we never… you know…" he stuttered, completely confused.

"Nick, I'm sorry! Remember what happened… the… the h-honeymoon?" she asked, blushing hard as memories from that day came rushing back to her.

"With… Wolfgang?" he asked, still confused. Julia had thrown it on him so fast that he was having trouble processing it all.

"… Yes…" she stuttered, hoping he wouldn't be angry.

"And… and… and he impregnated you?!" he asked, eyes wide with realization.

"… Yes…" she squeaked, fear creeping into her tone.

"Oh…" he trailed off, finally understanding what was going on. "And you want me to kill him, right?"

"W-wha? No!" she said quickly. "Don't do that!"

"And why not? I mean, we can keep the child, but you want him to pay for this, right?" he asked, pulling his gun from its holster and cocking it. It would be some paperwork, but the damn wolf wanted to die anyways, so it wasn't like anyone would care.

"No! That's the last thing I want you to do. Nick, I promised him we would take his contract!" she blurted out, clearly distressed. She decided to skip out on the part where she was the one to convince the white wolf to take the collar plead in the first place.

Nick froze, dropping his gun, though it didn't go off. "What?!" he asked again.

"N-Nick… I'm… don't take this the wrong way!"

"Wrong way? Wrong way!" he snarled. "How am I taking this the wrong way? He kidnapped you, impregnated you, and is currently rotting in a jail cell! Why would taking him on as a contract be the _right_ thing to do? Oh, and let's not forget that we have nowhere to put him! We already have two contracts here, we don't need a third!"

"I-I… I just need his help! Do you think this is easy for me?! I'm pregnant, Nick!" she exclaimed.

"Am I not enough for you?" he asked softly. "I'll help you through this, Judy… I promised that I would take care of you, I would not judge you no matter what! But… why would you go running off into _his_ arms? When _he_ did this to you! It would be better just to get rid of him, and pretend that the child is ours instead."

"I… Nick… just…" Judy couldn't help herself. Her life was just so damn complicated, it felt like it was turned upside down every other day. And it wasn't stopping, it was getting worse! She didn't need his bullshit!

"Just whatever!" she shouted, tears forming in her eyes again. "You know what Wolfgang did when I told him? He accepted it! He comforted me! And what are you doing? Questioning my choices! Do you think this is easy for me?"

That broke Nick rather quickly, watching his bunny cry right in front of him. But one thing stood out, causing his ears to flick in annoyance. "You… you went to Wolfgang first?" he asked, having believed she had made this decision on her own. _That white bastard must've manipulated her!_ he growled internally. "Why didn't you come to me? We could've talked about this, Judy, made a decision together. Now you've gone off and done something… I'm not sure is right."

"Just shut up!" she all but screamed, her voice mangled with her sobs. "Shut u-up already, you didn't go t-through what I went through! You aren't g-going through what I'm going through! W-who are you to question my c-choices?!"

Nick took a step backwards, grinding his teeth together as he did. "Judy, calm down… why are you yelling? I'm just… I've just been ambushed with the information that the love of my life is pregnant with another man's child… and she goes to him for comfort instead of me. I'm so… confused right now," he ground out through clenched teeth.

"Well you should be! Leave me alone!"

"No… Judy, don't say that…" he tried. "I… it's too late to change anything, you've already decided to save Wolfgang, I can see that. And if that's what you want, then I guess I'll just have to live with it. But I ain't gonna like it."

"Fuck what you like!" she cried out, unable to control her sobs any longer. "I'm… I… I don't know!" She stood still for a moment, before running up to Nick and jumped up at him, wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She pressed her face against his chest and continued the waterworks as he wrapped his arms around her as soothingly as possible.

He had been caught off guard by her sudden shift in mood, but he didn't drop her. _This is life now,_ he sighed to himself, _With a pregnant, emotional bunny. Though there's also that highly dangerous, criminal wolf, who happens to be the father, that will be living here._ That thought only served to make things worse, as his tail drooped considerably. "There, there," he said, rubbing her ears gently, hoping to calm her down.

She kept hugging him tightly, sobbing all the while. "I-I'm sorry, Nick! P-please don't be a-angry at me! I'm only t-trying to… to… I mean… I didn't p-plan on this! I didn't mean to get p-pregnant, it's all just so confusing… and I just w-wanted help!"

"I'm here for you, Judy… I'll always be here for you," he said, holding her close. "This isn't your fault." That's right, it was all that damn wolf's fault. Maybe Judy wanted that white bastard to help her… but if he made one mistake, the fox wouldn't hesitate to shock him.

"T-thanks, Nick," she sobbed, tears beginning to stop leaking from her eyes. "I need you too… more than ever. None of this was supposed to happen. I'm not ready…"

"I'm not ready either, Fluff," he admitted. "But if you think that damn wolf will help, then let's see how he does. I'll be sure to keep him in line."

"Okay…" she sniffled. "Thanks, Nick." She continued to hold onto him for a few precious seconds longer, before finally letting him set her on the ground.

"Come on," he said softly, "Let's see if they'll let us out now." He walked over to the door, Judy right behind him, and opened it without a problem. With a raised eyebrow, he walked into the kitchen to see Julia and Shenzi sitting on the foldout bed, waiting for them.

"Well, that worked even better than I thought it would," Julia observed with a smirk.

Judy only snorted, but Nick growled, "If you pull a stunt like that again, then I assure you that your ass will be sleeping outside for the night!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome," Julia waved the fox's threats off with her paw.

"Nice Fox? What's pregnant?" Shenzi asked out of the blue. She had cocked her head and stared at the fox and bunny with a confused look.

Nick looked over at Julia, but she only waved her paws wildly, as if saying ' _no, no, don't pin this on me!_ ' With a sigh, he turned back to the confused hyena and explained as best he could with, "It means that you're going to have kids."

Shenzi continued to give them that confused look. "So… uh… where do the kids come from?" she asked.

"No, no, no, no, no," Nick shook his head rapidly from side to side. He grabbed Judy and pushed her in front of him so she was facing Shenzi directly. "You're the one having kids, you explain this to her." Julia nodded rapidly in agreement.

The rabbit stayed quiet for a few moments as she tried to think of what to say. "Well, Shenzi… the child, or children, is inside of me, growing," she explained, putting her paws on her stomach.

"How did it get there?!" Shenzi exclaimed, leaning forward a bit.

Julia leaned forward and slung an arm around her sister's shoulder. This was the one part she didn't mind explaining. "It got there when she fucked Wolfgang," she grinned as Shenzi's ear flicked. Nick cringed at the crassness of the statement… but the younger hyena wasn't wrong.

Judy's ears sagged even further down her back as she tried to ignore Julia's comment. "Yeah… there's something that happens and… a little mammal will grow inside me until it's ready to come out," she explained.

"Oh… that's what pregnant is," Shenzi realized, remembering a conversation she and her mother had a long time ago. "What sort of mammal? Another Nice Carrots?"

"Actually… that's an excellent question," Nick pointed out. "What _will_ it look like? There's a lot of problems that could occur for this hybrid, especially considering the species gap between the parents."

"I hope it'll be healthy," Judy all but whispered.

"As do I. But I think that this warrants some research, though," Nick nodded in agreement. He certainly hoped the child, and his bunny, would be just fine.

"I think it'll look more like a bunny than a wolf," Julia pointed out. "But hey, place your bets, right?"

"Heh," Judy chuckled dryly. "What would you call that anyways? Rabbit/wolf… a rolf?"

"I'd go with a wunny," Julia replied with a chuckle.

"Wunny sounds dumber than a rolf," Judy countered, crossing her arms.

"But wunny rolls off the tongue! Rolf is more of a name, anyways," Julia argued. "Maybe if it's a boy you could name it Rolf."

"Ugh, definitely not," Judy growled, shaking her head. "But… ooh, a name's gonna be tricky."

"Can't help ya there. I'm awful at naming things," Julia shrugged.

Judy stayed silent for a few moments before letting out a sigh. "I'll decide later. I'm going to bed," she said, turning on her heel towards her room.

"Hold on, I'm coming with you," Nick said, following his bunny back to their room and shutting the door. Though he didn't lock it. "Today has been real… weird. I think it's best if we just end today before anything else weird happens. Tomorrow is his trial, right?"

"Yeah. It'll be short, thankfully," she sighed, rolling over so that her back was to him. "Goodnight." Not that she would ever actually get any sleep. Today had been the worst day of her life, and she knew she would spend all night thinking about it. Sleep eluded her, there was too much to contemplate… she was going to be a mother.

XXX

 **To be honest, this was probably the most important chapter of the entire story, where Judy discovers she's pregnant and decides to take Wolfgang as a contract. Now there are a couple of concerns that I'd like to address before anyone can even begin to complain about them. First, the pregnancy. Obviously, a wolf wouldn't be able to get a bunny pregnant in real life, that shouldn't need to be said. Unfortunately, I don't have some flashy, sciencey explanation for how this is possible. It just is… it's kinda like those stories where you see Nick impregnating Judy. And although a wolf is far off from a fox, if the fandom can accept Nick impregnating Judy, then Wolfgang shouldn't be** ** _too_** **much of a stretch. In any case, I will give a shout out to Medic (thanks for the review, as always, and sorry you've been relegated to the concluding author's note) and say that your second option for what had happened to Judy would make for an interesting story, and if I could rewrite this one I might go with that instead. But you are correct, I need some way to get Wolfy out of prison, and I think this is the most interesting way to do it.**

 **Second thing is Judy's behavior in this chapter. Hopefully I made it clear enough exactly what's going on. So, obviously she's panicking and she had a little bit of a breakdown with Nick. But hopefully you can see the pregnancy starting to impact her, with violent mood swings and all. If that clears it up for anyone who's confused why she broke down like that. Anyways, I did a little bit of math, creating a ratio between a normal human pregnancy and a rabbit one, so if anyone's wondering, she's nearing the end of her first trimester (about nine days after conception). So, we're going to see some of the symptoms starting to disappear and new ones appear in their place. Anyways, that's about all for this chapter. I wonder if it'll be as easy as Judy thinks to get Wolfgang his collar? Stay tuned until next time to find out!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – Birth of a Prison:

Author's Note:

XXX

 **God… I must've written and rewritten this author's note a hundred times. But I guess I should start with… I am very sorry for the more than a month of hiatus on this story. I am especially sorry for everyone who eagerly awaited this chapter… only to have to wait this long. The reason this chapter took so long was because I have recently become enraptured by my other story, The Den of Fangs. I've been spending the past month writing exclusively for that story, and I have just been… unable to write for this one. So, it was more of a combination of writer's block and interest in another story.**

 **But I do want to make one thing clear, hopefully without making myself look like an ass while doing so, the reason for my hiatus had nothing to do with the criticisms last chapter. It would be both ignorant, selfish, and stupid of me to believe that everyone's gonna love this story. I'm actually a little surprised by how many of you do really enjoy this story… I mean, I have another story that was on hiatus for over half a year before I officially discontinued it… and not a single reviewer came and asked me where the hell the next chapter was. I do intend on finishing this story, and I again apologize for making all of you worry.**

 **I'll continue by giving my thanks for making the last chapter the most reviewed chapter I have ever posted! Even if that number is (compared to other… better stories) a measly thirteen reviews, I appreciate each and every one of them! A lot of you made some really good predictions, and some of you even came** ** _dangerously_** **close to the purpose of the story last chapter. And while I'd love to sit here and respond to each and every little review… I just don't have the space.**

 **Anyways… hopefully everyone has noticed that this chapter is being posted on Saturday. That is because I'm changing up my schedule. Because I'm still enraptured by my other story, and honestly, I'd much rather be writing for that instead of this, I've decided the fair thing to do is to alternate my posting between the two stories. And since Saturday gives me more time for Immoral, I'm changing the official posting day to Saturday. So expect a chapter** ** _every other week_** **… and if you're reading** ** _both_** **of my stories… you get to read something each week! And hopefully it's less overwhelming for all of us. Enough of my rambling, however. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

The courthouse was packed, unsurprisingly. While Wolfgang wasn't exactly a household name, the Fritz empire was. Lots of animals knew of his family's enterprise, and there was an intense amount of news coverage on the spectacle. They were expecting Wolfgang to put up one hell of a defense, knowing that he was filthy rich and could hire the best lawyers, some suspected that he might even get off scot-free.

Judy sat alone in one of the pews. Nick had gone ahead to work, taking Shenzi with him, as he didn't want to watch the trial. Julia stayed home, claiming that she didn't want to see Wolfgang be sentenced to death. And she wouldn't change her mind no matter how hard the rabbit tried to convince her the white wolf would be fine.

Judy sat in the front row, staring at the door she knew Wolfgang would come out of. The trial wasn't quite ready to start yet, even though the prosecution was already in place. She kept her eyes glued on the door until she saw someone sit down next to her out of the corner of her eye. At first, she ignored the mammal next to her, deciding instead to continue staring at the door.

That was, until she heard his unmistakable voice. "So… you're just not gonna greet me?" a familiar red-eyed hyena chuckled next to her. Finally tearing her eyes from the door the defendant would be led through, she looked up at Janja. "Ah, there you are, bunny cop."

"Don't call me that," Judy growled, crossing her arms, and glaring at him.

"Oh? Then what should I call ya? 'Cause I can't exactly call ya _Mrs. Fritz_ anymore, can I?" he said with a toothy grin.

Judy frowned at him. The divorce became final barely a few days ago. And yet, her finger still burned where the ring once sat. "Just Judy, thanks," she growled. "What are you doing here, Janja?"

"I'm here for every trial," he shrugged, as if it was no big deal. "Besides, the more interesting question is: why are _you_ here?"

"None of your business," she said, turning away from him towards the door once again.

"Are you just here to make sure he's put behind bars for good?" he asked, still smirking at her even if she wasn't looking at him. His words didn't get a rise out of her, however. "No, that's not it…"

She didn't react, choosing to stay quiet. A hush came over the rather noisy news coverage teams as the door finally opened and the defendant was escorted into the courtroom. There was no lawyer waiting for Wolfgang at the defendant's desk, a fact that caused muttering to start up again by the time the white wolf had made it to the desk. He was in chains; his paws and feet were both shackled and connected with a long chain that prevented him from moving faster than a slow waddle.

A single antelope sat at the prosecution's desk, nervously glancing at Wolfgang as he finally settled behind the defendant's desk. If there was one thing the news had hyped up, it was how dangerous the white wolf truly was. Everyone was anxiously glancing at Wolfgang, trying to predict what he'd do next. Animals all over the city had come to watch, as they believed he might make some sort of daring escape, or that he would put up an intense fight. "Well, in either case, I have a feeling this isn't going to go how anyone wants it to," Janja said, causing Judy to realize he had never stopped talking, even though she wasn't listening to him.

"All rise. The court of Zootopia is now in session, the honorable judge Grizzly presiding," the tiger bailiff said as a grizzly bear judge Judy recognized as the one who was present during Julia and Shenzi's collar reactivations entered the courtroom. Everyone, including Wolfgang, stood for the judge, who took a seat at the bench.

"You may be seated," the bear growled, causing everyone to drop back into their seats as one. Wolfgang and the prosecution lawyer remained standing, however.

"Good morning, your honor, my name is Thomas Marzetti," the prosecution lawyer greeted. "The case we will be hearing today is State vs Fritz. Mr. Fritz has been charged with kidnapping, murder of multiple degrees, threatening an officer of the law, as well as manufacturing and distributing illegal arms. We have multiple witnesses to these atrocities, not to mention the very rabbit officer that he kidnapped, in court today. We the prosecution are asking for life in jail for Mr. Fritz."

"And how does the defendant plead to these charges?" the judge asked, glancing back over to Wolfgang. Everyone in the courtroom held their breath as the white wolf glared at the judge.

But he didn't hesitate. "Guilty," he said, his deep voice echoing through the nearly completely silent courtroom.

Those watching gasped as the judge raised an eyebrow. No one had been expecting this. He didn't even put up a defense. Judy smiled at Wolfgang, despite his back being to her, now all that was left was to get him a collar. The prosecution lawyer only shrugged, this was just easy money to him. "Very well, then. Wolfgang Fritz, I sentence you to life in prison," the judge said, banging his gavel on his desk.

"Your honor, I would instead like to take a collar plead," Wolfgang stated calmly, though a visible frown was present on his face.

"A collar plead?" the judge asked before turning to the opposing counsel. "Are there any objections?"

The prosecution lawyer was up on his feet like a bolt of lightning. "I object, your honor. I would like to remind the court that Wolfgang Fritz has immersive and intimate knowledge of the shock collars we use for criminals, including how to turn them off," the antelope said. "He is much too dangerous for him to be simply allowed a shock collar and a contractor."

The judge nodded thoughtfully before turning back to face Wolfgang. "That is a fair point, objection sustained. Collar request denied," he growled, banging his gavel again.

Judy felt her heart sink. _What am I going to do now?_ she asked herself, staring at Wolfgang. His ears flicked in annoyance and he frowned even deeper. This was his chance to be rid of all this. He never wanted a collar, Judy did. It wasn't his fault he was considered _too dangerous_. So he said nothing as the bailiff and another security guard came to grab his arms.

"Court dismissed," the judge growled as he stood, along with everyone else in the room. Judy watched him leave through one of the two doors in the back wall, likely towards his office, as she wracked her brain for ideas.

She had no idea what to do. She was forced to watch helplessly as Wolfgang was taken away, back through the door he came through. Just before the door shut behind him, he glanced at her, and gave her a look that told her clearly what she had to do: _If you want to save me, then you'll have to fight for me._ And then the door shut behind him, where he would be whisked away to prison.

The rabbit frowned and slipped off the pew she was sitting on to run after the judge. It was her only option. She had to convince him to change his mind about the collar. Janja watched her leave through the same door as the judge, no one bothering to stop the bunny. A smirk was present on his face, this was a wonderful opportunity for him. Pulling out an old-fashioned, black flip phone from one of his jeans pockets, he dialed a number and held it up to his ear. "Yeah, it's me. I have something I need you to do for me…"

XXX

Judy rushed after the judge, catching up to him outside of his office. She skidded to a halt in front of his office door and asked, "Sir?"

He let out a weary sigh, "Yes, officer Hopps?"

"Well… sir, I'd like to speak with you," she replied. "About Wolfgang Fritz."

"I gathered that," the bear said. "Can I at least get into my office?" He pointed at the door she was blocking. Her nose twitched when she realized that she was preventing him from going inside, odd, considering how much larger he was than her. But she stepped aside nonetheless and let him enter his office.

She followed him in, shutting the door behind her, and watched as he walked over to his chair and sat down in it. He let out a low sigh before leaning back in the old, squeaky chair. "Now, what is it you wish to discuss?" he asked with a frown.

"Like I said… it's about Wolfgang," Judy said, hopping up into the chair sitting on the other side of his desk. She looked so small in a chair meant for much larger mammals, but she remained sitting while addressing him. Despite the fact that her head didn't even clear the edge of the desk. "I was hoping there was some way I could get you to reverse your ruling."

The grizzly bear's eyes widened slightly as his interest was piqued immensely. "In what way, officer Hopps?" he asked.

"About the collar," the bunny clarified.

 _Oh, that makes more sense,_ the judge thought to himself. He had wondered why a police officer would come into his office to ask him to _lower_ a criminal's sentence. "I'm afraid I cannot do that," he said, folding his paws on the desk.

"What? Why not?" Judy demanded, before immediately covering her mouth. She hadn't meant to have an outburst like that, and she was sure the judge wouldn't appreciate it.

"Because, as it was covered in court not three minutes ago, Wolfgang Fritz is too dangerous for a collar," he answered simply, narrowing his eyes at the rabbit. "You saw how much public interest there is in this case, we cannot afford to be lenient with the Fritzes. Especially Wolfgang."

She wanted so desperately to protest. To claim that he wasn't dangerous. That he wouldn't hurt anybody. But it would be a lie. She wasn't sure how to convince him, but it was clear she wasn't going to be able to change his mind. "But… the courts have never denied a collar request before," Judy mumbled, unsure of what else to say.

"Why is it so important to you that Wolfgang be given a collar?" he asked, crossing his arms, and leaning back in his seat. "You were the one he took, correct? I would think him being off the streets would be your highest priority…"

"Well… you're right, I am the one he kidnapped," Judy muttered. "And… I got to know him a bit. It's my belief, sir, that I can rehabilitate him, change him into a better mammal."

"I'm afraid I must advise against that. Mammals like Wolfgang Fritz are…" he trailed off with a deep sigh, trying to search for the right word, "Irredeemable."

"He just needs a bit of guidance…"

"So, if I am to understand this correctly, _you_ intend to take his contract?" the judge asked incredulously. "So that's why you were in court today. Not as a witness, but as an interested contractor?"

"Yes, sir. I want to take him as a contract," the rabbit nodded. "I got to know him, and I feel I can help him. I have to try."

"Miss Hopps…" he sighed, putting one of his paws on his temples and beginning to rub. "There are only _two_ reasons I could think of that would compel someone like you to pick up Mr. Fritz as a contract."

"Sir-"

"One: this is some sort of Stockholm syndrome or mind control that is compelling you to try and set Mr. Fritz free," he growled, interrupting her.

"Sir, I can assure you that that's not the case!" Judy protested, but wasn't able to get much farther, as he kept talking.

"Or two: this is some sick revenge fantasy, trying to make him pay for what he did to you," the judge finished, crossing his arms as he did.

She stared at him with her mouth agape in horror, unable to even fathom how he came to those conclusions. She wasn't sure how to respond, as he seemed deadest on those being the only two options. She almost wanted to shout out the truth, but she knew that it wouldn't help her here. "Sir, I can assure you-" she tried, but was cut off once again.

"I'll be the first to admit that our screening process for potential contractors isn't as good as it should be. But I will not allow something as obvious as this to slip through my claws," he growled, narrowing his eyes at her. He was having none of her excuses.

"Oh, I don't know… I believe her," a new voice entered the conversation. Judy whirled around, hope sparkling in her eyes when she heard the voice of someone who believed her. The judge looked up as well, rolling his eyes when he spotted Janja leaning against the doorframe, smirking widely. He hadn't even noticed the hyena come in.

"And why would that be?" the grizzly bear growled, glaring at Janja as the hyena made his way into the room, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

"Well, for one thing, she's Judy Hopps. If it were any other mammal, I'd tend to agree with you. But… Judy isn't one to hold a grudge, nor is she one to be broken easily," Janja shook her head as he reached the chair Judy was sitting on. He put his paws on the back of the chair and grinned at the judge. "And besides, Judy here is an idealist… she's stupid enough to think that she can change Wolfgang, and stubborn enough that it might actually work."

"Is that so?" the judge asked, raising an eyebrow, before glancing at the rabbit. Judy was looking down at her feet, unsure of whether to feel insulted or grateful for Janja's help.

"Indeed. And if memory serves correctly, this is the only time you've _ever_ denied someone a contract," Janja said, his eyes narrowing for the slightest second. The bear opened his mouth to protest, but immediately closed it afterwards. It was true, now that he thought about it, he had never actually denied… anyone a contract. "And considering the number of _monsters_ you let slip through your claws, I'd say your 'screening process' should have no trouble in letting Judy through."

"Name one," the judge challenged, crossing his arms.

"I could name dozens, judging by the number of dead collared criminals that show up in the morgue every week, killed by their own collar or by their own contractor beating them to death," Janja shrugged. "Considering that there are hardly any repercussions for doing so. But if you want a name… how about Ahadi Mane?"

Judy's eyes widened when she recognized the name of Shenzi's former contractor. The Mean Lion. "I see your point," the bear ground out between gritted teeth. "But that still doesn't change the fact that Wolfgang Fritz can disable collars. He is too dangerous to be allowed to wear one."

"Well that's not a real problem, is it? Considering I can make 'em a _special_ one," Janja smirked. "A _permanent_ one."

The judge thought for a moment, he hadn't considered asking Janja for a special collar. Judy, on the other paw, looked up at Janja with wide eyes. "Could… could you really do that?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes… could you really do that?" the grizzly bear judge asked incredulously.

"Well…" Janja grinned as he looked down at Judy. "Considering the amount of time it would take to draw up schematics, gather parts, construct a prototype to test, and build the actual device…"

"What do you want?" Judy asked, crossing her arms, already knowing that he was going to ask for something.

"Aw, you know me too well," Janja grinned. "I want an extra pair of paws to help. Shenzi, to be specific."

"You want… Shenzi… to help?" Judy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Indeed. She's very smart, you know," Janja replied. "She already understands the collar around her neck as well as I do. She would speed the process along, from a week or two, to maybe only a few hours."

"Well, I definitely want it done as quickly as possible," Judy muttered. "Alright, fine. When do you want to start?"

"Tomorrow. Bring her by the courthouse before your shift, and I'll pick her up," Janja responded immediately.

"Hold on a moment," the judge cut in before Judy could say yes. "How much is this going to cost the court?"

"As long as you plan on giving Wolfy to Judy here… it's free of charge," the red-eyed hyena smirked.

The grizzly bear judge narrowed his eyes as he searched those seemingly unblinking red orbs for a motive. Janja was always a difficult one to pin down, his actions and motivations a complete mystery to the older bear. The hyena could have some plan, or he was just doing a good deed for the day. The judge would never know.

"Very well… if you can construct a device that will properly contain Wolfgang Fritz, then I will give his contract to officer Hopps," the bear sighed in defeat. It was no use to stand against Janja Crocuta.

Judy jumped out of her seat, pumping her fist in the air. "Yes! Thank you so much, Janja! I promise Shenzi will be here bright and early tomorrow, just before my shift!" she exclaimed giddily, before rushing towards the exit. She was late for her shift anyways.

Janja watched her go, red eyes glinting as he did. The judge kept staring at the hyena, trying to gleam some idea of what he was thinking, but it was for naught. Janja padded away, humming a tune as he went.

XXX

"So… why did you bring me here, Nice Carrots?" Shenzi asked innocently. A day had passed since Wolfgang's trial, and Judy had brought the collared hyena to the courthouse just as Janja had requested. Shenzi was sitting on the steps of the courthouse, watching the bunny pacing back and forth.

She had shown up early, expecting Janja to be here before she was. But the red-eyed hyena was nowhere in sight. And it was rapidly approaching the time she needed to be at the precinct. "Do you remember Janja from the other day? When he took you with him to get your collar repaired?" Judy asked, turning on her heel and pacing back towards Shenzi.

"Uh… yeah, I remember Nice Hyena… what about him?" Shenzi asked, cocking her head.

"He wants your help designing and building a collar for Wolfgang," Judy replied.

"M-Mean Wolf? Why are we making him a collar?" the hyena asked, still confused. Though she had to admit, building something with the Nice Hyena _did_ sound fun.

"Because… well, I'm taking him on as a contract," Judy sighed. She couldn't believe that Shenzi of all mammals was suddenly questioning her decisions.

"Oh… well, okay then!" Shenzi said, suddenly upbeat. "It sounds like fun!"

Judy couldn't help but shake her head. "Do you… like Janja?" she asked after a moment of thought.

"Oh… yeah! I like him, he's a Nice Hyena!" Shenzi replied with a cheery smile. "He lets me do stuff and make things. He's really kind."

"Ah, well… do you enjoy making things? You never mentioned wanting to do anything like that before…" Judy trailed off, worried that Shenzi had been withholding a favorite pastime of hers in favor of not 'upsetting' them.

"Making stuff is fun! But… I like being around you, Nice Fox, and Ju-li-a, and I didn't want to bother you…" Shenzi mumbled.

"Well…" Judy trailed off as a simple pickup truck drove into the parking lot and up to the duo waiting on the steps of the courthouse. Judy raised her eyebrow as the window rolled down to reveal Janja behind the wheel. This wasn't the type of car she expected a crime lord to drive…

"Hey Shenzi! You ready to go?" Janja asked, smiling happily. He was alone in the truck, no bodyguards or anything of the sort.

"Yeah!" the collared hyena grinned, jumping to her feet. She padded around the truck and opened the passenger's seat door, climbing inside.

Janja turned back to Judy, still smiling. "I'll give ya a call when the collar is finished," he said before pulling away from the steps, leaving Judy standing in front of the courthouse. She couldn't help but feel a little worried about Shenzi.

There was something… off about Janja. But she couldn't place it no matter how hard she tried. _Well… Shenzi doesn't seem to think anything is wrong. And… if he treats her poorly, she'll tell us. I'm sure this will be fine,_ she sighed internally as the truck raced away, before she turned towards her own car. She still had a shift to get to.

Janja drove quickly to his house, Shenzi sitting beside him quietly. The first time he had taken her to his home, she had been so nervous. She had thought he was going to hurt her! But… he was a Nice Hyena. He had taught her how to fix her collar, and he had let her do it herself! She was so happy to be useful to him.

And now he was taking her back to his place again! And Nice Carrots said they would be building something again. She was so excited, she couldn't help but look over at the other hyena with a wide smile. She giggled when he returned the smile, taking his eyes off the road for just a second.

But it really didn't matter as he pulled into his driveway, following the long, winding path to his home. His home was rather large, though not nearly large enough to call it a mansion. But Shenzi thought it was a nice house nonetheless. Much better than Nick's apartment, or the house… shack she grew up in.

She was so enraptured with staring at the building that she didn't notice Janja come to a stop and hop out of the truck. He looked back at her to see her still inside the vehicle. Chuckling to himself, he called out, "Are you coming?"

She blinked a few times before realizing that he was already heading towards the house. With a panicked yelp, she leapt from the car and rushed towards him. "I'm here!" she exclaimed as she slid to a stop next to him. He only shook his head with a grin and headed towards the door to his house.

Pulling a key from his pocket, he unlocked the door and opened it, stepping aside to let Shenzi in first. She smiled at him and stepped into his house, unable to stop herself from glancing around excitedly, marveling at the décor.

The doorway led to a small hallway with a staircase directly to her right from the entryway. Though the door was currently blocking her path to the stairs. The living room was connected directly to the hallway, a massive television visible from where she was standing. There were paintings on the walls, all of them very expensive-looking, but no photographs. There were a few busts of famous mammals, and even a few healthy-looking plants scattered throughout the living room and the entryway.

Everything looked so clean, it made Shenzi unconsciously wipe her feet several times on the doormat before walking further into the house, letting Janja inside behind her. He shut the door and let out a sigh of, "Home sweet home."

But Shenzi wasn't paying attention to him. The first time she was here, he had ushered her up the stairs so quickly that she didn't even get the chance to stop and marvel at his beautiful home. She stepped into the living room, her eyes rapidly flicking back and forth, taking in every little detail she could. She especially liked the paintings.

Janja chuckled softly as he watched her walk deeper into his home, marveling at his art and his furniture. While Wolfgang's mansion was more typical of a nineteenth century manor, his house was more modern-looking. Right down to his comfortable, leather couch.

Shenzi grinned giddily as she padded towards the huge TV. Though the art was interesting, and the sculptures looked cool, she had never seen a television this big before. The living room had four different hallways connected to it. Two of them were blocked by doors, though the door that sat a mere meter to the right of the television was more like a cellar door than the simple wooden one that was on the opposite wall the TV hung off of. One was a simple hallway that seemed to have no end in sight, and the other led immediately into a kitchen.

She could hear a sizzling sound from the kitchen, as if someone was using the stove, that caused her ear to flick in confusion. She didn't remember anyone else here the last time she was at Janja's house. But she shrugged it off, maybe Janja just left something broiling while he went to pick her up. After all, the courthouse wasn't too far away from his house.

Shenzi turned her attention back to the TV, unaware that Janja had moved directly behind her. Slowly, she reached out to touch the television, only for her to stop her paw a mere inch from the screen, not wanting to smudge it. She couldn't help but flinch when Janja wrapped her paw around her wrist, immediately assuming that he thought she was going to touch the screen, and he was going to be angry at her for trying to smudge it.

"I see you like my setup," the red-eyed hyena chuckled, still gently holding onto her wrist.

"I'm sorry!" she shouted immediately, still worried that he was angry at her.

An amused smirk rose onto his muzzle as he gently guided her paw to the top of the television set. She flinched again as her paw made contact with the plastic guard surrounding the edges of the screen. "You can touch, if you want… smudges can be cleaned," he said, letting go of her paw.

Blinking when she realized she was allowed to touch the amazing device, she began stroking the edge of the TV, not worrying about smudging it. She had forgotten he was a Nice Hyena. "Thank you," she sent him a soft smile, before glancing around at his living room again, hoping to see something else her eyes fancied.

He let out a short chuckle at her enthusiasm. "Last time you were here, we were in a bit of a rush. But I figure that Wolfy's in no hurry to be collared, so we can take our time and have dinner first," he said.

"That's why I heard something in the kitchen… you're making dinner!" she grinned as she turned to face him. It had been awhile since she had last eaten. Nick Fox and Nice Carrots needed to go shopping…

"Well, _I'm_ not making it," Janja chuckled. "I can't cook."

"Then who's cooking?" Shenzi asked, cocking her head in confusion.

"I am," a new voice entered the conversation, causing the two hyenas to turn their heads towards the entrance to the kitchen. Leaning against the doorway was an orange-furred lion with a black mane. His green eyes locked onto the unfamiliar face, causing Shenzi to practically jump out of her fur. A scar was featured prominently running across his left eye, though the eye itself was not damaged. And, even more interestingly, a collar was present around his neck.

"Ah, Scar, there you are. How's dinner…" Janja trailed off as he heard Shenzi yelp loudly beside him. The red-eyed hyena glanced over at the female next to him, only to see her falling over herself as she struggled to run away. Her paws slipped on the hardwood floor, causing her to tumble to the ground, before she dug into the floor with her claws and scrambled towards the couch. Which she hid behind, quivering in fear, occasionally mumbling something Janja couldn't make out. "Coming along…" the red-eyed hyena finished as he watched the entire spectacle unfold.

"Who the hell is she?" the lion Janja had addressed as Scar asked, crossing his arms as his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"She's a friend," Janja muttered as he padded over to the cowering hyena. "Shenzi, what's wrong?"

"W-what's Mean L-Lion doing here?" the female hyena squeaked. She glanced around the edge of the couch to see if Scar had followed her, only for her to duck back into cover as she saw him smirk at her. Baring all those sharp teeth of his.

"Mean Lion?" the red-eyed hyena asked with a raised eyebrow. His mind whirled, trying to remember who on earth Shenzi could be referring to. She was afraid of him, that was obvious enough. "Is he…" he paused, trailing off and licking his lips. "Is Mean Lion your former contractor?"

"Y-yeah! What's he d-doing here? Is he g-gonna h-hurt me?!" she asked frantically.

"No, no, nothing like that," Janja said softly, trying to calm her down. "That's Scar, my servant. Your former contractor is dead, if I remember correctly. Scar won't hurt you… if he knows what's good for him."

"B-but…" she trailed off. "But he looks just like Mean Lion!"

"And I assure you, he isn't," Janja said softly. "Come, take a good look at him. I promise he won't hurt you."

Gulping loudly, Shenzi allowed Janja to take her arm and guide her out from behind the couch. She stood on shaky legs as she stared at the black-maned lion. She kept tensing, her legs begging her to run away, but Janja's comforting touch, and her own weak will managed to keep her bolted in place as she observed Scar.

But her eyes widened as she sniffed the air. "He doesn't smell like Mean Lion," she muttered, her quaking beginning to come to a stop. He also didn't look a whole lot like her former contractor either. His fur was a dark orange, instead of a lighter orange, and his eyes were green, not red. Then there was that Scar…

"See? Nothing to worry about. Scar's just a housemaid, really," Janja smirked, to which the lion rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," Scar grumbled. "Lunch is finished, by the way."

"Excellent. Did you find the thing I asked you to?"

"The schematics are in your workshop."

"Good. You're dismissed," Janja waved his paw and padded towards the kitchen, still holding onto Shenzi gently, causing her to follow him.

"Sir?" the lion asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you told me to make lunch for three?"

"Yes, well, I've changed my mind. I want you out of the house while Shenzi and I are busy. We'll store leftovers for you in the fridge," the red-eyed hyena said as he passed the lion by.

Scar blinked a few times before shrugging. He turned towards the door and padded towards it, intent on getting out of the house. The only time Janja ever really let him leave this place was when the hyena needed him to run an errand. At least he'd get a breath of fresh air.

XXX

 **Right, so, this chapter is done. A little short, I know. I cut a lot out from the original chapter in order to release it today. It's not all gone, well… some of it is. I originally showed Janja and Shenzi building the collar, but I thought that it was pretty boring and didn't really add much. So I've cut it entirely. The rest of the chapter I decided to put in the next one. That way the pacing is more fluid. I know this chapter was a little slow compared to the last one, but I guess you could consider it a cool-down chapter after the drama that unfolded last time.**

 **We're introduced to a new character this chapter! Yup, Scar is making an appearance, and this isn't the last you're gonna see of him either! His backstory and the reason he's contracted under Janja will be revealed in time. But, there is one thing that I want to make clear, just so no one's confused. I'm not sure if anyone caught this, but in chapter one, Shenzi mentioned that the name of her contractor was Ahadi. Which happens to be the name of Scar's father in the Lion King books. That's why Shenzi flipped out, Scar looks a lot like his father, despite the lack of description of Ahadi in chapter one (one of the many mistakes in that chapter). Anyways, unless something goes horribly wrong, you can expect the next chapter in two weeks! Stay tuned until then!**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 - Permanent:

Author's Note:

 **100 reviews! Ah, it always feels great to break 100, and this is my third story to do so! I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and everyone who continues to review in the future. Who knows… maybe this'll be my first story to break 200! If the average reviews per chapter stays the same… there's a good chance I might! Anyways, there's only one real review I'd like to address…**

 **Medic! Oh man, it's been awhile, hasn't it? So, you caught the whole Shenzi and Banzai thing (Banzai will be making another appearance eventually, so you can look forward to that) but Ed doesn't physically appear in this story. He's referenced… but doesn't appear. Sorry if that crushes your dreams. I'd also like to say that you didn't come off pushy, but you did make me feel incredibly guilty. It felt like I was failing you, and it didn't make it any better that any time I sat down and tried to write, I could only seem to make progress on my other story. And yes, I did notice that Zootopia is rated higher than Lion King, and I tend to agree with that. I love Lion King, but Zootopia is just that little bit better. But I won't go into my top ten Disney movies…**

 **Also, to a guest reviewer just called Guest, yes, I know I should've put the last chapter out on the Friday as to not screw anyone over. But the chapter wasn't finished by Friday, so I had to shoot for Saturday instead. Which had nothing to do with my posting changing days permanently (as I explained last chapter). Oh, and congratulations! You were my 100** **th** **review! I don't have anything to give, unfortunately.**

 **Anyways, this is a shorter chapter, unfortunately. I've been on vacation for the past few days, so I decided to split this chapter. This part is a bit short, like I said, but next chapter will be much longer! I promise. And with that, please, enjoy!**

XXX

Judy let out a soft sigh as the courthouse came into sight. Nick had once again wanted no part in this, and had relinquished her the car so she could drive to the courthouse. Thankfully, his apartment wasn't too far away from the precinct, so his walk hadn't been too bad, and Judy didn't feel terrible about him deciding to walk.

Judy pulled into a parking space and shut the cruiser off. She sucked in a deep breath, shutting her eyes as she did, before letting it out slowly. Janja had called her near the end of her shift, saying that he had finished Wolfgang's collar. He had told her to swing by the courthouse to pick up the collar and Shenzi.

She took another deep breath before stepping out of the cruiser. To say she was anxious was… an understatement. She had no idea what sort of monstrosity Janja had cooked up, but she hoped at least the collar would be discreet and comfortable. That way Wolfgang wouldn't complain about it too much. Though she had a feeling, even that wouldn't stop the white wolf from bitching about his predicament.

She padded up to the steps of the courthouse to see Janja and Shenzi already there, the red-eyed hyena smirking slightly. "Nice Carrots!" Shenzi exclaimed, hopping down the steps to stand by the bunny.

"Hey Shenzi," Judy smiled at the grinning hyena. "How'd it go?"

"We made the collar!" Shenzi giggled happily, bouncing up and down on her heels. "I was helpful!"

"Very helpful," Janja chuckled, before standing up and grabbing a box that had been sitting next to him. He walked down the stairs and handed the box to Judy. "There's Wolfy's collar."

"And… and it's permanent?" the bunny asked softly as she lifted the lid to stare at the collar. It did look a lot tougher than the other collars, as it was made from pure steel. It didn't look particularly comfortable, but it also didn't have an external shock box, nor were there any buttons on the outside. That at least meant no one who didn't have the remote couldn't shock him.

"Indeed," Janja nodded. "Once it's shut, it will _never_ open again. So be careful with it."

"I will," Judy nodded before shutting the box lid.

"By the way, sign this," the red-eyed hyena said, pulling a slip of paper from his pocket and a pen, before handing it to the bunny.

"What's this?" she asked as she accepted the slip of paper and the pen.

"I took the liberty of showing the collar to judge Grizzly. He's already approved Wolfy as your contract, now all you have to do is sign this," he explained, his paw dipping into his other pocket as he waited for her to sign it.

"Oh… thank you," Judy blinked a few times. She signed the document before giving it back to the red-eyed hyena.

"Right, here are the remotes," Janja said, taking the slip of paper, and putting it back into his left pocket. He pulled out two remotes from his right pocket and handed them over to Judy. "I made one for you and another for that fox of yours. Just in case."

"Thanks," Judy muttered, accepting the remotes.

"You're welcome," he smirked.

They stared at each other in awkward silence for a few minutes before Judy finally said, "Well… I should go and give this to Wolfgang."

"Right, and I should give the form to Grizzly," Janja nodded in agreement. "Oh, and Shenzi?"

"Yes?" the female hyena asked, looking at the male. She had been rocking back and forth, humming to herself as she waited for the two Nice mammals to finish their conversation, but she snapped out of it when she heard the Nice Hyena call her name.

"If you ever feel like building something with me again, feel free to swing by my place," he smiled softly. "I have plenty of untested designs that I'd like to work on. And I'd love your help."

Shenzi's grin widened even further as she clapped her paws together happily. "Yes! That's sounds like fun Nice Hyena!" she giggled excitedly. "I'll be sure to come over and help you soon!"

"I certainly hope so," Janja smirked. "See ya around, Shenzi."

"Bye Nice Hyena!" Shenzi called out, waving her paw rapidly as the red-eyed hyena ascended the stairs of the courthouse.

XXX

Judy led Shenzi across the street to the prison. Once there, one of the guards led her to Wolfgang's cell. They followed the leopard guard through the twisting corridors that made up the prison until they arrived at the white wolf's cell. The leopard opened the door and let the rabbit and hyena in.

Wolfgang was lying on his cot, staring at the ceiling. He didn't seem to react when the door opened, so Judy caught his attention with, "Hey Wolfgang."

The white wolf's ear flicked and he looked over at the bunny standing in the entryway of his cell. He saw the box in her paws and, with a pit of dread beginning to form in his stomach, realized what was inside. And what it meant. Apprehension flooded him, he wasn't sure if he really wanted this. "Hey… Judy," he said softly, suppressing the urge to gulp.

"I got the form signed," she said, walking into the cell, Shenzi deciding to stay outside. Wolfgang sat up on his bed so she could put the box on it. "And I got you a good collar… one you can't tamper with."

"I never planned to tamper with it," he snorted. "But I suppose if it puts everyone's mind at ease…"

"Yeah," she sighed as she lifted the lid and carefully drew the collar out of the box. "Want me to put it on for you?"

He slipped off the bed and dropped to his knees, his head hanging low enough that she could reach. He sighed as he felt her fit the steel contraption around his neck, before making sure his fur wasn't going to be caught in the locking mechanism before she shut it. "It's as good as pulling the trigger, isn't it?" he asked softly, just loud enough for her to hear as she snapped it together. The inner locking mechanisms closing forever.

"No, Wolfgang… it's so much better," she whispered back, before stepping away from him. He stood up and rolled his head, getting used to the collar around his neck. "That's not coming off, ever. How do you feel?"

"Uncomfortable," he grunted, suppressing a savage growl. It was too late to wish this had gone differently.

"The discomfort will fade," she shrugged. "At least you won't be rotting in a prison cell for the rest of your life."

"Maybe one day I'll forget that I have this abomination around my neck. Maybe one day we'll be able to laugh and chat as friends instead of master and slave. Maybe one day I'll come to love my mistake," he sighed. "But I will never, _never_ , forget that I'm in hell."

Judy's ears fell as she turned around to face him, looking up as she did. His words gave her both a sense of hope, as well as a sense of despair. "I certainly hope you don't think that our current relationship is one of master and slave!" she said, her voice rising an octave.

"Then what is it, Judy?" Wolfgang asked, cocking his head with a bored expression on his face. "How is this going to work?"

"Well… I had hoped it would be like what you had with Julia while she was contracted under you," Judy mumbled, looking down at her feet.

"Julia is different, she's a friend. You and I are not friends. You really have no idea, do you?" he asked. "Was saving me really just an impulse?"

"Wha? An… okay, fine. It was an impulse decision, and maybe it wasn't the best option. But I can't believe that saving the father of my child from rotting in jail is _the wrong choice!_ " she said, crossing her arms. "I didn't expect you to be grateful for me saving you, but I had hoped you wouldn't bitch about it!"

"You have no answers," he shrugged. "I just wish you'd have put a little bit more thought into this, Judy."

"You know what I _think_?" she growled, pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts. "I think that we'll play this by ear."

"By ear?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, by ear. I don't know what you expect from me, Wolfgang! Some grand plan? 'Cause I don't got one," she said, turning around, and padding towards the exit. "Come on, we're going home."

"Home?"

"Yeah, home. Nick's apartment," Judy said as Shenzi fell in line next to her, Wolfgang trailing behind as they headed towards the exit.

"The fox's apartment?" the white wolf asked, eyes widening slightly. "With you, the fox, and the hyenas?"

"Yes," Judy said shortly.

He took a deep breath, letting it out in a loud sigh as they made it out of the prison. "I'm sleeping on the floor, aren't I?" he deadpanned.

"Until we can get you a blow-up mattress or… something, yes," she replied awkwardly.

He only grumbled something unintelligible as they made it to the cruiser. He defied every instinct he had to not just snap and run, hoping that the shock from the collar would be enough to kill him. But he climbed into the back of the cruiser nonetheless, Shenzi hopping into the passenger's seat next to Judy.

The ride back to Nick's apartment was silent and somber, except for Shenzi's happy humming. She was completely ignorant to the tension between the other two mammals as she distracted herself with her humming. She didn't quite understand why Nice Carrots was letting Mean Wolf stay with them, or why Mean Wolf made it seem like Nice Carrots was forcing him. _Shouldn't he be happy he's not in that cold cell anymore?_ Shenzi wondered to herself. _I didn't like my stay in the cold cell before getting Nice Fox as a contractor…_

But Judy eventually pulled into Nick's apartment complex's parking lot and shut off the car. She and Shenzi hopped right on out, but Wolfgang hesitated. Only for a few seconds, but it was enough for the rabbit to take notice. She didn't have time to turn around and ask him to get out of the car, as she heard the car door open just as she was about to turn around.

The white wolf followed Judy into the apartment building and into the elevator. The ride was thankfully short, as the hyena's humming was really starting to get on his nerves. The rabbit led the other two mammals to Nick's apartment before opening the door.

Judy gulped as she saw Nick pacing in the living room, glaring at the floor as he waited for Judy to come back with the wolf. Julia was laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling as she did her best to pretend Nick's pacing wasn't bothering her. But the moment the door was opened, the fox stopped pacing and turned to see the newest inhabitant of his apartment following Judy and Shenzi into the small apartment. Wolfgang was so tall he had to duck to get through the doorway, and even then, the top of his head was so close to the ceiling he had to flatten his ears.

Nick glared at the wolf before stalking over towards the trio, just as Shenzi shut the door behind them. Wolfgang returned the glare, but remained silent as the fox stopped next to Judy. Julia looked up from the couch to see Wolfgang standing in the entryway of the apartment. Her jaw dropped open as she practically flew off the couch and rushed towards him.

"Wolfgang?" she asked as she practically leapt at him. She attempted to tackle him in a hug, but he remained on his feet as she embraced him. "Wolfgang!"

The white wolf stood perfectly still as she hugged him, unsure of how he was supposed to react. He glanced over at Judy to see her holding a paw over her mouth to stifle a chuckle, while Nick just kept glaring at him. "Yes, Julia… it's me," he said awkwardly.

After a solid minute, she finally let him go, before grinning up at him. "I can't believe you're here! Why are you here? I would think that…" she trailed off as her eyes widened once they landed on the silver ring around his neck. "C-c-collar…" she stuttered out.

"Collar," Wolfgang echoed as Julia took a step back in horror, her paw shooting up to her own collar.

"So… then…"

"Yes."

"Oh… I see…" she muttered, looking down at her feet. If Wolfgang could be collared… then there really was no hope in getting rid of these infernal devices. The image that she had hoped to always remember Wolfgang as, that shining pillar of invincibility, had been shattered again, and replaced. With one of a dirty looking wolf with a collar, wearing an orange prisoner's uniform, and standing in a too-small apartment.

"Right… well… can I talk to you for a moment, Nick?" Judy asked, putting her paw on the fox's shoulder. The fox hadn't taken his eyes off the wolf and hardly registered the bunny's touch. But when she shook him a bit, he snapped out of his stupor to see her trying to drag him towards their room.

He gently removed her paw from his shoulder and followed her to their room, frown etched onto his face. "What is it, Judy?" he asked, crossing his arms after shutting the door, and leaning on it.

"Well… I was just wondering how you were holding up," she said, pulling herself up onto the bed. The fact that he had referred to her by her real name wasn't a good sign.

"He's only been here for five minutes, Judy," he growled.

"And you haven't stopped glaring at him," she replied.

"What do you expect from me? To just roll over and enjoy his company?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, no…"

"'Cause I tried, Judy. I spent all last night, our shift, and the time it took you to pick him up trying to convince myself that this is a good idea," he said. "And I just can't."

"Well, I'm sorry, but…"

"No, I understand _why_ you did it. If I had impregnated another woman, my first impulse would be to take her into my care so I could assure the safety of my child," he said. "But that's the problem. It's an _impulse_."

"He told me the same thing," she snorted. "And I get it, I really do. I should've talked to you first, but it's too late now. We can't just send him back to prison."

"Can't we?" Nick smirked slightly. "Look, just tell me: what practical purpose do you think he serves?"

"Well…"

"Because if you haven't noticed, he takes up a lot of space," he said. "And he's another mouth that we're going to have to feed. Not to mention his bitching! So why should we keep him?"

"Well… I figured that he'd help with the child when it's born," Judy muttered.

"Help how?"

"He… could…" she trailed off, wracking her brain for solutions. Until she found one. "Oh! He could look after it while we're at work!"

Nick blinked a few times. "Okay… but what's wrong with Julia and Shenzi? I don't see why we need _another_ contract just to look after a baby…" he trailed off.

"Well, for one thing, the baby won't be Shenzi and Julia's. Secondly, I don't trust Shenzi with the child," she replied, crossing her arms.

"And you trust Wolfgang?"

"He wouldn't hurt his own child!" she protested. "He's not _that_ cruel!"

"Well, then what about Julia? What's wrong with her?" he challenged.

"How about the fact that she's an alcoholic? I don't want any of that near my baby," she replied immediately.

"But she's recovering…"

"Barely. I wonder what would've happened if I didn't convince Wolfgang not to take the _death penalty_ and Julia found out?" Judy asked. "She would fall right back into the hole she's been trying to climb out of."

"But what about…"

"Nick, don't you dare say we should hire a random stranger!" she interrupted him before he could even throw out the idea. "Listen, Nick, with Wolfgang here, he can keep Julia from drinking and the two of them can look after the child while you, me, and Shenzi work. This way Julia will recover from alcoholism, Wolfgang will stop griping, neither you nor I will have to quit our jobs, and Shenzi will get to work the rest of her sentence off!"

"So, it's a win-win, then?" Nick deadpanned, rubbing his temples in frustration. Maybe Judy had a point…

"Well, maybe not a win-win… but surely better than any of the alternatives," Judy muttered, hopping off the bed. She padded over to him and put a paw on his shoulder. "I know you said that you were willing to raise my child as its father… but I don't want to just dump that burden onto you."

Nick ground his teeth together, before grumbling, "Thank you, I guess."

"Well, if it's any consolation, Janja gave you one of these," she said, pulling out one of the remotes from her pocket and handing it over to him. "Just don't go shocking him for no reason."

"I think any shocks he gets, he deserves," he snorted. "But fine… no shocking poor old Wolfy willy-nilly… except for this one."

"Huh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned on his heel and opened the door, before leaving their room. She stared at the space he had just occupied, searching for the reason he had said that. But her eyes widened as she realized what he meant, before she bolted after him.

She came skidding into the living room to see Nick glaring at Wolfgang, remote clutched in his paw, though his arms were hanging by his waist. Wolfgang didn't seem to notice, as he was too busy munching on beef jerky out of a bag. He sat uncomfortably on one of the too-small stools at the counter in Nick's kitchen. But he looked up when Judy burst into the room and swallowed what was in his mouth.

Licking his lips clean of the salty, meaty goodness, he said, "What? I haven't eaten in days!" He passed the bag over to Julia, who pulled a handful from the bag and began eating it herself. "Besides… Julia said I could have some."

But Nick wasn't listening to Wolfgang. "Has his collar been tested?" he growled to no one in particular. Wolfgang's ears flicked before his eyes narrowed as they settled on the remote in the fox's paw.

"Uh…" Judy trailed off, not entirely sure of the answer.

"I asked: has his collar been tested?!" Nick snarled again, this time with significantly more bite to it. Judy could feel a pit growing in her stomach, but she didn't say anything to stop the fox from doing what she knew he was going to do. He needed this, and she knew he needed this.

Shenzi let out a small yip of fear when she heard Nice Fox growl a question she knew the answer to. _He's angry!_ she realized as she tried to answer his question without screwing up. He was holding a remote in his paw… she didn't know who's remote it was. _Is he going to shock me?!_ she wondered. "It… uh… Nice Hyena and I didn't test it, Nice Fox," she said quickly, hoping to god he wasn't angry at her.

"Then this'll be its test run," Nick said, before hitting the button on the remote. There was a delayed reaction from Wolfgang as the fox hit the button, but the shock hit the white wolf like a truck.

The force of the shock threw Wolfgang off the chair, forcing him onto the floor, his paws shooting up to grasp at the steel collar. But no matter how hard he pulled, the collar wouldn't come off as he spasmed on the floor from the shock. The fox only had his finger on the button for twenty seconds, but the moment he let go, Wolfgang gasped for air, before collapsing against the wooden floorboards… and fainting.

Judy did her best not to rush to his side, but couldn't stop herself from letting out a cry of, "What the fuck?! Why did he pass out?!"

Shenzi was too busy breathing a sigh of relief to answer immediately. While she was glad she wasn't the one getting shocked, it wasn't nice for anyone to be shocked. Not even the Mean Wolf. "Oh, uh… Nice Hyena said Mean Wolf's collar is three times as strong as a normal one," she answered the rabbit when she realized she had been asked a question. "He said Mean Wolf might be out for up to five minutes."

"Five minutes," Judy echoed. She couldn't help the worry that leaked into her eyes, but at least he wasn't dead.

Nick glared at the unconscious wolf, thumbing the button on the remote. Several silent seconds ticked by before he jammed the remote into his pocket and turned towards his bedroom. "I'm sick of today," he grumbled. "Goodnight."

Judy swallowed softly as she padded over next to the wolf and put a finger against his neck, searching for his pulse. She found it quickly enough, and ascertained that it was still beating normally. _He'll be up soon,_ she told herself as she righted the chair he had knocked over when he fell off it. Pulling herself up onto the chair, she waited for Wolfgang to wake up as the two hyenas headed over to the couch and began turning it into a bed.

Five minutes ticked by, and Wolfgang's eyes blinked open slowly. One paw immediately going to his throbbing head, he sat up a little bit faster than he would've liked. He let out a low groan before he heard Judy's voice, "Hey, slowly, slowly!"

Turning towards the voice, he blinked a few times to clear the blurriness from his vison. He saw Judy staring down at him, concern clear in her eyes. "Ooh… my head," he groaned as he tried to sit up again, this time succeeding. "How long was I out?"

"Five minutes," Judy replied immediately. "Do you want some Advil or something?"

"Advil would be lovely," he sighed as he concentrated on pushing himself up to his feet. Judy hopped off the stool and headed into the kitchen, pulling herself onto the countertop to reach the medicine cabinet. Plucking a bottle labeled 'Ibuprofen' she got a glass and filled it with water before walking around the countertop so that she could give the glass and drugs to Wolfgang.

The wolf had just managed to push himself onto his feet before accepting the drugs. "Should you be walking on the countertop?" he asked after tossing a handful into his mouth and downing them with the water. "Isn't it… unsanitary?"

"Should _you_ be taking a dozen Advil?" she responded, crossing her arms.

"They're for foxes… or bunnies, right? Either way, it's a lower dosage than what a wolf would need," he shrugged before setting the glass onto the counter. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she muttered. "So… do you want a blanket or something? A pillow…"

That's when Julia padded closer to them. "Hey, you know, I bet if we squeeze together, we can fit you on the foldout," she noted with a smirk.

"That could work," Judy smiled, thankful that the hyenas were willing to let Wolfgang share their bed with them. Maybe he would stop thinking of this place as hell if he didn't have to sleep on the floor. Though a voice in her head said, _I doubt it._ "Would you want to do that, Wolfgang?"

"It sounds a lot better than the floor… and with this headache, I'm going to need sleep," he sighed after a few seconds of silent deliberation.

"Which one of us sexy hyenas do you wanna snuggle up against?" Julia grinned at him. "Or would you rather be in the middle? Like some sort of hyena-wolf sandwich!"

"I guess the middle sounds the least awful," Wolfgang shrugged, wincing slightly at her suggestions.

"Ooh… I hoped you'd say that," Julia smirked. Judy couldn't hold back a chuckle at the shift in Wolfgang's predicament. But Shenzi just cocked her head at her sister and the bunny.

"What's so funny?" the older hyena asked.

"I'm being harassed…" Wolfgang grumbled.

"Oh, don't be like that! It'll be fun!" Julia giggled. "It'll be like that time your mother chained me to a tree and you came and camped out with me! Only… without the chain… and a soft bed instead of grass to sleep on."

"So Mean Wolf will sleep with us?" Shenzi asked, still slightly confused. What was a hyena-wolf sandwich? Was someone planning on eating them?!

"It's this or the floor… and somehow this is better," Wolfgang let out a tired sigh.

"Oh, come on!" Julia protested. "We don't bite…"

"How am I not reassured?" he grumbled.

"We won't bite, promise," the younger of the two hyenas rolled her eyes. "But there will be some contact, so you'll have to deal with that."

"Fine," he eventually sighed before padding towards the bed. Julia followed with a devious grin, and Shenzi continued to stand next to the bed, still very confused. Wolfgang lied down first on his back, letting Shenzi and Julia lie down next to him, pressing themselves as hard as they could against them. Miraculously, the foldout fit all three of them with a little bit of leftover space.

Judy stood on the back of the couch, hovering over Wolfgang's head. "Well… is everyone comfortable?" she asked.

"Hardly," the wolf grumbled.

"Yes!" Julia grinned in response. Even though she had a bit of space to work with, she continued to press herself against the white wolf.

"Well… I could sleep on the floor to make room for Mean Wolf," Shenzi offered. "I've always slept on the floor. It isn't so bad…"

"No!" Julia replied immediately. "Wolfgang will live with it, or _he_ can sleep on the fucking floor!" The wolf in question growled, but did not protest.

"Nobody get upset," Judy said softly. "It's only until we can get something for Wolfgang to sleep on. In the meantime… let's focus on getting a goodnight's rest."

The other mammals begrudgingly agreed, allowing her to slip off the couch and make her way to her room. She opened and shut the door, pausing for just a moment to consider locking it, but decided against it. She climbed onto the bed and slipped under the covers next to Nick, who was already snoring softly. "Goodnight," she whispered, before letting the sweet embrace of sleep take her as well.

XXX

 **Alright, another chapter down! Again, I apologize for it being short, I ended up deleting a scene that I was going to show because I didn't have the time to edit it to fit it into the chapter. It was just easier for me to make the chapter shorter by deleting this scene. I** ** _had_** **considered extending the chapter's length by showing you all the deleted scene anyways after this author's note, completely unedited and nonsensical that it may be, but I decided against that too. Anyways, in two weeks, you'll get another chapter, and it's gonna be quite a bit bigger than this one! So at least there's that to look forward too. Although this chapter is important, and it will continue to be important, next chapter really gets one of the plots of this arc rolling. Stay tuned to see how that turns out!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 - Bartering:

Author's Note:

 **Ah… let's see. Last chapter we saw Wolfgang getting collared, getting shocked, and then being forced to sleep on a foldout couch between two hyenas. Not exactly a comfortable position, if you ask me. Unfortunately, it's only going to get worse for 'poor old Wolfy.' Not that he doesn't deserve it, of course. Unfortunately… there's something important I do have to say about this chapter and this story in general. I know I promised last chapter that this one was going to be longer… but after writing it and going back and editing, I realized that my story board is all messed up. So… this is a shorter chapter to compensate for my screw up, and I also won't be posting in two weeks like I promised I would start doing… because I have to fix the story board. But other than that, please, enjoy!**

XXX

Judy woke up with a loud yawn, just before her alarm on her phone began to ring. Shutting off her alarm, she rolled over with a soft sigh, only to see that Nick wasn't there. She blinked a few times, the fact that she was alone in the bed taking a few moments to catch up to her sleepy mind. Realizing that Nick had woken before her, she sat up, eyebrow raised in confusion. Usually she was the first one up… to have him awake before her left her feeling a bit empty inside.

She rolled out of bed nonetheless and padded towards the door. She usually made sure that they had plenty of time to wake up and get ready for the day before heading over to the precinct. Even if that meant waking up at six in the morning, just when the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon. Nick always complained… why would he be awake before her?

Judy made her way into the living room to see Nick sitting on one of the stools at the counter, glaring at the foldout couch where Wolfgang and the two hyenas slept. All three of them were still asleep, Wolfgang lying on his back while both hyenas were on their sides, pressing themselves against the larger wolf. Nick was not in uniform, nor had he noticed her padding into the living room, pulling out a stool at the counter, and sitting down next to him.

"Nick… hey Nick," she said, snapping her fingers, hoping to get him to stop glaring at Wolfgang. She kept her voice low as to not wake the sleeping mammals in the room.

He looked over at her with a sigh, his expression softening as he did. "Hey, Carrots… how are ya feeling?" he asked, putting on a small smile.

"Well rested," she replied immediately, stretching her arms and letting out another yawn. "I feel ready to tackle the world again."

"Good… because you're gonna have to tell Bogo about this… development," Nick said, glancing back over at Wolfgang.

"I'm sure Bogo already knows we contracted him," Judy shrugged.

"No, not the wolf. Your pregnancy," the fox sighed.

"… Oh yeah, I should probably request time off for the birth now, shouldn't I?" the rabbit asked quietly.

"If you actually want that time off, yes, you probably should," he nodded.

"You don't think… Bogo will want a reason, do you?"

"There's a pretty good chance he'll want to know why his best officer is requesting time off."

"Well… there's no avoiding it, huh?"

"Nope…" Nick shook his head slowly. "Well… should we wake 'em?" he asked, trying to move the topic away from the baby.

"Do we have to? I mean, they look so peaceful," Judy grinned. "Julia looks particularly pleased."

"I'm sure she is," he snorted. "But we're going to be leaving soon… we have to figure out how we're gonna be doing this, Fluff."

"What do you mean?" she asked, cocking her head.

"Well, I don't trust him here alone," Nick said, crossing his arms.

"Why not? He's not gonna run away!" Judy said just a bit louder than she meant to, her sharp ears catching the minute shifting of the bed as Wolfgang readjusted in his sleep. "Is that why you're awake so early? To make sure he doesn't do anything funny?"

The fox was silent for a few minutes, before he shrugged. "I'm still a little paranoid, Judy, I'm sorry," he sighed. "But I figured maybe if we make sure they're all awake before we leave… and if you leave your remote with Shenzi, we can just be a little more certain that he won't try anything funny."

"I don't know… I mean, I understand your paranoia, but I just don't think Shenzi has the guts to shock him," she shrugged.

"And I doubt Julia could bring herself to either," he growled. "It's not like we can give the remote to him…"

"Yeah… at this point we might as well… we might as well…" the rabbit trailed off, thinking hard for a few moments. "We might as well bring him with us to the precinct."

"What? That's the _last_ thing I want to do with him!" the fox snarled.

"Really? You don't want to take him to a place where he'll be _surrounded_ by police officers as well as watched over by not one, but two mammals carrying remotes to his collar?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You make a good point…" he sighed. She only grinned at him and nodded. "Well, you're the alarm clock, Carrots, why don't you wake them?"

Judy managed a short chuckle as she padded over to the foldout and pulled herself onto the bed. She stood down by their feet, sucking in as much air as her little bunny lungs could hold, before letting out an unholy shriek of, " _Wake up!_ "

Wolfgang bolted upwards, throwing the two hyenas off him. Julia and Shenzi collapsed onto the floor, the older hyena bouncing upwards, wide awake, while the younger let out a loud groan and tried to shut her eyes again, not caring she was on the floor. Wolfgang turned to glare at the bunny. "Was that truly necessary?" he growled.

"Absolutely," Judy nodded, hopping off the bed and landing next to Julia. She put a paw on the younger hyena's shoulder and shook her awake.

"Wonderful," the white wolf grunted as he pushed himself off the bed, just as Julia's eyes opened again. "What time is it?"

"It's six in the morning!" Shenzi said cheerfully, not at all perturbed by the abrupt wakeup call. She padded over to the fox standing by the countertop and took a seat on one of the stools, still smiling happily. Julia only grumbled something incomprehensible, rubbing her ass as she followed her sister towards the small kitchen.

"I'll get started on breakfast!" Judy said as she pulled herself onto the countertop, and walked over towards the cabinets to reach the items she needed. She pulled out a pan from one of the cabinets, before opening the fridge and grabbing some sausage links.

As Judy got started on breakfast, Wolfgang set to work turning the foldout back into a couch. Once he was finished, he let out a loud yawn, flashing all his teeth, before making his way towards the kitchen, his sensitive nose already catching the scent of sausage being cooked. He leaned against the counter, opting against attempting to sit on the too small stools. Besides, sitting on them made him look like a fool.

"So… would it be possible to get a change of clothes?" the white wolf asked, gesturing towards the orange jumpsuit he was still wearing. He was only in jail for a day, and yet they insisted he change into a uniform the moment he stepped through the prison doors.

"Actually, after I got Janja to agree to build you that collar, I managed to get my paws on one of your suits," Judy said, not looking away from the stove. "If someone could please go and get it…"

Shenzi took that as her cue to head towards Nick's room and fish Wolfgang's suit out from the dresser. She padded back into the room and presented the clothes to white wolf, which he graciously accepted. "Thank you, Shenzi," Judy said as Wolfgang headed towards the bathroom to change.

"You're welcome!" the cheerful hyena said as she sat down next to Nick at the counter.

By the time Wolfgang exited the bathroom, breakfast was nearly finished. Nick held back a snarky comment about him struggling to dress himself in favor of ignoring the wolf. "Is this the only suit you managed to get a hold of?" he asked as he once again leaned against the counter.

"Unfortunately," the rabbit replied as she began putting sausage links on a paper towel to help drain the grease off them.

"Hopefully it wouldn't be too much to ask if we could invest in some spare clothes for me, then," he said, eyeing the sausage hungrily. Besides the beef jerky last night, he hadn't eaten anything in days.

"Oh, hey!" Julia said, drawing everyone's attention to her. She was holding a carton of milk in one paw, and a golden credit card in the other. "Maybe we could use this!"

"My credit card?!" Wolfgang exclaimed, flicking one of his ears. "They didn't take it from you?"

"I wasn't exactly arrested," Julia admitted. "I still had this in my pocket from when you sent me out to buy that funeral dress for Judy, and they let me walk right out with it!"

Wolfgang stalked over to her and snatched the card from her paw. "Give me that! Why didn't anyone mention this before?"

"We didn't know she had it," Judy shrugged.

"Though we were starting to wonder how she was affording all that alcohol…" Nick growled.

"Well… if the police didn't freeze my accounts, then they likely don't know that anyone is still using them," Wolfgang rubbed his temples with a soft sigh, before turning to give Julia a hard look. "Alcohol… really?"

"I needed help coping after you were arrested…" the gold-eyed hyena admitted.

"I'm surprised my capture had such an effect on you," he smirked.

"I guess it was a shock to my system… I was so used to things being one way, and then all of a sudden… everything was crashing down around me," she sighed, setting the carton of milk down on the counter next to her sister.

"Well… I could deactivate your collar again, and I'm going to try and get my mansion back," he grinned. "Who knows? Maybe things will go back to being… marginally the same."

Nick looked over at the wolf with a raised eyebrow. "What? Mansion?" he asked, but he was ignored by both Wolfgang and Julia.

"Oh man, imagine sleeping in a real bed!" Julia exclaimed, putting a paw on Shenzi's shoulder as Nick's eye twitched in annoyance.

"Ah yes, a real bed… it feels like it's been ages since I've slept in one of those," Wolfgang chuckled. "That might be a good improvement."

Judy considered the possibility of what they were suggesting. It would be amazing… but, was it possible? "Do you really think you could get your mansion back?" she asked, walking over to the group of carnivores gathered at the counter and set the plate full of sausages on the countertop.

"Anything can be bought for the right price, and the information I have is extremely valuable," Wolfgang shrugged. "I don't doubt chief Bogo will bite."

"Well, then it's a good thing we're taking you with us to the precinct this morning," Judy couldn't help but smile at the idea of moving out of the cramped apartment and into Wolfgang's mansion. It really was a lovely building…

"Indeed. I figured if you were waking me up this early you were probably going to be taking me with you," he said.

"They would've woken you anyways with the racket they make when getting ready to leave," Julia grumbled. "Not to mention breakfast."

"Ah, I see. No matter, it all worked out in the end," the white wolf said.

"So… how much money is on that card anyways?" Nick asked, feeling curious as he reached for one of the sausage links. As much as he would've loved to ignore the wolf, he was interested in that piece of plastic Wolfgang had shoved into his pocket.

"Depends on how much Miss Hyena has spent on alcohol," Wolfgang shot the hyena a glare. Julia only smirked and reached for breakfast as well. "But it should have thirty million on it."

"Th-thirty million?!" Nick stuttered out.

"Most likely," the white wolf shrugged. "This is the card I usually gave to servants I sent out to run errands for me. It has enough on it to buy several of what I request, plus whatever else they think might be useful for me. It also finances a nice lunch or dinner for them, and occasionally they buy something for themselves."

"That's… that's a lot of money," Nick managed, staring at Wolfgang's pockets, not blinking.

"It's enough incentive to make the servants eager to run errands for me," Wolfgang explained. "But it's not really a huge sum of money."

"What?! What do you mean? Millions of dollars is a lot!" Nick replied.

"If I had successfully ascended to the throne and received my rightful inheritance, I would be worth three point two billion dollars, fox," Wolfgang growled. "Next to that, thirty million is nothing."

"Whatever," Nick growled, shoving his paws in his pockets, feeling irked. He grabbed one last sausage link before slipping off his stool and heading towards his bedroom to dress in his uniform.

Judy, seeing that the sausage links were just about gone and no one was clamoring for her to make more, decided to go and take a quick shower. She assumed Nick had already taken one, considering he had been awake longer than her. Once he heard the bathroom door shut, Wolfgang pushed the plate towards Shenzi, who had yet to take a single sausage link. There weren't many left, but he figured the hyena would want them.

And want them she did. Shenzi dug into the remaining sausages, thankful that Wolfgang had decided to give them to her, as she hadn't the courage to ask for them. She was a bit intimidated by the large wolf, despite him wearing a collar and her sister's comfortableness around him, and didn't want to piss him off. So, she kept her head low as she always did, and ate her sausages.

What she wasn't expecting, however, was for him to strike up a conversation with her. He couldn't help it. The small, nervous smile she had sent him caused an idea to bolt through the wolf's mind. "Hey… Shenzi, you built this collar, right?" he asked slowly.

"Uh… y-yeah! Nice Hyena made the outside… and I m-made the inside," she explained, glancing at Julia. Without Nice Fox or Nice Carrots in the room, she felt distinctly uncomfortable talking to the wolf. "There's a lot of little parts…"

"Nice Hyena? I assume that's Janja?" Wolfgang asked, looking over at Julia. The gold-eyed hyena only nodded. "Very well then. Do you happen to know if he included a… Faraday Cage in the outer shell?"

"Uh…" she trailed off, shutting her eyes for a moment. In that brief moment, she mentally pulled up the blueprint of the collar Nice Hyena had shown her, and quickly found what he had asked about. "Y-yeah… there's something called a Fara-day in the blueprints. It looked like it was important too."

"Shit," Wolfgang growled. "Well, he's certainly made some major improvements on the current design."

"What? How? What is a Faraday Cage?" Julia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A Faraday Cage is used to protect electronics against electromagnetic pulses," Wolfgang explained. "When I was helping him create the first collar, we decided that we didn't want to radically change the design of the collars in order to include a Faraday Cage. Plus, we wanted an EMP to be a failsafe against the collars malfunctioning."

Julia blinked a few times as she processed what Wolfgang was telling her. "Wait? So, you're saying that…" she trailed off.

"The collars can be shut down by an EMP blast… permanently," he finished for her.

"What?!" Nick's voice came from behind them. Turning around, they spotted the fox bristling with fury. "All the collars can be shut off with a simple EMP?!"

"I wouldn't exactly call it simple, but yes," Wolfgang explained. "It's to prevent malfunctions with the device… which _have_ been known to happen. But my collar apparently has a Faraday Cage, so if my collar malfunctions…"

"Well at least there's that," Nick growled. "I take it not too many mammals know about this… weakness?" He had heard of collars randomly deactivating before, but no one had managed to put the pieces together. At least now there was an answer to that mystery.

"Just myself and Janja… and now you three," Wolfgang sighed. "I wouldn't exactly call it a weakness… but if word got out…"

"There would be chaos in the streets," Nick nodded in understanding as he heard the shower shut off. Turning around, he watched Judy walk out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel, and head towards their shared room to change into her uniform. _It's gonna be a long day,_ he sighed internally as Judy shut the door.

XXX

Judy led the way into the precinct, followed closely by Wolfgang, and with Nick bringing up the rear. One of his paws was jammed into his pocket, fingering the remote to the white wolf's collar. One could never be too cautious.

Judy made her way past Clawhauser's desk, deciding it was a better idea to go straight to Bogo. She ignored the cheetah's gaping expression as Wolfgang passed him by, heading straight for the stairs that led to Bogo's office on the third floor.

Judy knocked on Bogo's office door before hearing Bogo's booming shout of, "Enter!" Letting Wolfgang open the door, she and Nick made their way into the caped buffalo's office, both of them taking a seat on the chair across from Bogo at his desk. The collared wolf stopped behind the chair, resting his paws on the back of the chair as he did.

Bogo had been shifting through paperwork as he watched the trio file into his office, the white wolf, and more specifically the collar around his neck catching his eye. Growling to himself, he stood from his chair and squared his shoulders so that he was standing above Wolfgang, though he did not step from behind the desk. "I had heard you managed to convince Judge Grizzly to get him a collar deal… I did not know you would be the one taking him," he said almost casually. "Is the collar secure?"

"Yes, the collar is secure, and the shock works… maybe a little too well," Judy nodded, to which Nick snorted. "Both Nick and I have remotes, and I can assure you that everyone is completely safe around him."

"I certainly hope so," Bogo replied. "However, that still leaves the issue of _why_ you contracted him, when you already have a collared servant."

"Well… we don't like to call them 'servants…'" Judy trailed off. "But you see, chief… I'd like to request time off. In about three weeks."

Bogo's eyebrow arched when he heard those words coming from his best officer's mouth. She had never come to him personally to request time off before. She had always filed paperwork at the end of each month to put in for time off just like every officer. He was so taken off-guard by her request that the fact she didn't answer his question escaped him. "And what reason do you have for this unscheduled leave of absence?" he asked.

Judy sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming her nerves as she did. "Well… you see, sir, I went to the doctor a few days ago, for stomach pains…" she said slowly. "And they told me I was pregnant."

The silence was deafening. Bogo stared at her for several minutes, doing his best to process what she just said. "Can you repeat that… Hopps?" he asked calmly.

"I'm pregnant, sir… and I would like to request time off for the birth. In three weeks," Judy mumbled.

The caped buffalo immediately glared at the fox, assuming that this was his fault somehow. "What did you do, Wilde?" he growled.

"Me?! This was _his_ fault!" Nick practically shouted, jerking a thumb in Wolfgang's direction.

" _Him?_ " Bogo growled, turning to glare at the wolf standing behind the chair Judy and Nick were sitting on. "How is that possible? A fox and a bunny is improbable, but I could see it happening… but a bunny and a wolf?"

"The chances are likely astronomically low… but it _is_ possible," Wolfgang sighed. "Not that either of us were aware of it at the time of… conception."

"Then why?" Bogo asked. "Why is my best officer going to be put out of commission?"

"We were forced to seal the marriage with consummation," Judy explained.

"He _forced_ himself on you?" Bogo snarled, immediately reaching for his gun.

"No! Well… not exactly," Judy said quickly, hoping that Bogo wouldn't shoot the wolf.

" _Neither_ of us had much of a choice," Wolfgang clarified, eyeing the chief's firearm warily. "I was even more adamantly against it than she was."

"Your family forced you two to mate? That's sick," Bogo growled, through his hoof did not move from the handle of his weapon. "Though it's just as sick that you slaughtered all of them."

"Perhaps," the wolf mused. "But I will remind Judy that I _did_ give her a choice. I gave her the choice to run away and forget about the marriage… and she _chose_ to stay and help me. Now I am returning the favor. I am _choosing_ to be collared underneath her, to help raise this child."

The caped buffalo glared at the wolf for a moment before collapsing back into his chair with a growl, his hoof leaving the handle of his gun and going to rub at his temples. "And I suppose there's no chance you're getting rid of it, Hopps?" he asked.

"What? No!" Judy exclaimed. "Why does everyone keep asking that?"

"Then I suppose what's done is done," Bogo sighed. "That's too bad… there's a promotion hanging in the balance and I was going to give it to you. But with your condition… I cannot promote you now, nor can I wait to promote you after you give birth."

"Promotion?" Judy asked, cocking her head. "For what?"

"Lieutenant," the chief replied. "Since it was discovered officer Wolfard was _collaborating_ with a known felon, he has been demoted. And is currently on probation."

"Oh…"

"Congratulations, Wilde, you just made lieutenant," Bogo said, gesturing towards the fox. Judy swallowed hard, but managed to put on a smile as she turned to congratulate Nick, who in turn only gaped at the chief.

"Me? Lieutenant?" Nick asked, excited grin spreading across his face. "Yes! Thank you, chief!"

"You do good work, Wilde, you've earned it," Bogo nodded. "Now… is there anything else, or can I give you two your assignment?"

"Three," Wolfgang corrected. "I actually have something to ask for."

"That explains why you're here," Bogo grunted. "What do you want?"

"I want my mansion back. The fox's apartment is much too crowded with myself and the other contracts," the wolf said. "Not to mention the child when it is born."

Bogo was silent for a few minutes as he mulled over the prospect of just handing the mansion back to Wolfgang. "The house was seized under civil asset forfeiture, it won't be easy to get back," he said. "But… I think you're in luck."

"How so?" the white wolf's eyes narrowed.

"There have been a string of warehouse robberies, starting just after you were captured," the caped buffalo explained, reaching into one of his desk drawers, and pulling out a file, setting it on his desk. "The workers of the warehouse have been incredibly tightlipped about what was stolen and who stole from them, but the one warehouse we did manage to pin down was one of yours."

"I see…" the wolf growled, taking the file, and flipping through it.

"I don't have time to worry about getting your mansion back because of the mayor elections coming up, but if you could flip through the list of hits and tell me which ones are yours, and what was being stored there, it would clear my schedule enough to help you with your house," Bogo said, crossing his arms.

"Of course, sir," Wolfgang said, closing the file. He would worry about it after Nick and Judy were done with their shifts.

"As it so happens, Hopps, Wilde, another warehouse burglary was committed last night, and your assignment for today is to go over there and find out what happened. I want to know who robbed the warehouse, and I want to know _what_ was taken… interrogate any mammals working there if you have to, but get me those answers!" the chief said, leaning back in his seat.

"Yes sir," Nick and Judy said at the same time, hopping off their chair.

"Good. Dismissed," Bogo waved them away, before looking back down at the swarm of papers on his desk.

XXX

 **I know, a little bit short, but still important. Like I said in my opening author's note, there's a problem with my story board, and it's going to take a while to fix. Mostly because I have no idea how I'm going to fix it, but hopefully the ending of this arc stays the same. In any case, hopefully the next chapter will be up in three weeks… and if not, hopefully not more than four. See you all then!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 – When All Things Come to a Stop:

Author's Note:

 **And… I'm back! Thank you all for being patient. My little issue with the storyboard is fixed (hopefully)… but I can't guarantee posting will return to normal. As it turns out, last week when I was supposed to post the chapter was the day I moved into my dorm. Which means my semester is starting up again… and my time to write will be severely hampered. I'll keep trying to put out a chapter of either** ** _The Den of Fangs_** **or this every week, but I can neither guarantee that I'll alternate posting them, nor that I'll be posting anything some weeks. It really depends. But I will say to appease you guest reviewers, is that I will continue to** ** _only post on Saturdays._** **Which means if this story isn't out by the end of Saturday, you won't have to worry about checking back on it until the next week.**

 **But, on a different note, I'd like to address the guest reviewer Medic! Thank you for reviewing, first of all. Second, I'm very excited that you took notice of the collars' weakness to electromagnetic pulses. While you are correct that your theory is not 100% accurate, I think you're underestimating yourself. You'll see how accurate you are when the time comes, but I am very glad that you believe an EMP device to be of some importance. It means I've done a decent job foreshadowing…**

 **Anyways, with that out of the way, we can move on to this chapter. For those of you curious about what sort of changes that have been made, I decided to remove a lemon that was previously in this chapter. I'm moving it somewhere else, so don't worry about missing out on it. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Shenzi and Julia were alone in Nick's apartment. Julia was used to being left alone in the apartment. Nick and Judy had gone to work every day since they had brought the hyena to live with them, and they had taken Shenzi with them almost every time. But it was different today.

Not because they had left Shenzi behind and Julia was not technically alone. No, not that. Julia had expected to be left alone with Wolfgang. Where she could have returned to some sense of normalcy. Or at least, pretended things were returning to normal. Before Wolfgang was captured. Before she had gotten her sister back. Before Wolfgang had taken Judy. When it was just her and the white wolf, spending their days together.

She longed to return to those days when they were young. Before he had become incredibly busy after his father's death. But it seemed as if Nick and Judy were adamant about making Wolfgang useful to them. So Julia did what she always did when Nick and Judy were working. Sleep.

Julia laid on the couch, fast asleep. Shenzi sat next to her, pushed to the edge by her sister's feet, and watched the television. At first, Julia had hogged the remote, searching for the most boring thing possible to help put her to sleep, but the moment she passed out, Shenzi reclaimed the remote and changed the channel.

She found a much better show to watch, free of talks of politics and international conflicts. She guessed that the show she found was for a much younger audience, but she didn't care. She just wanted to relax and enjoy herself, and if a kids' show was what it took to do that, she wouldn't complain.

The hours passed quickly for the two hyenas. Shenzi laughed along with the show she was watching, but was careful to be quiet enough that her sister could sleep. But she quickly silenced herself when she heard several loud raps against the door. Flicking her ears, she glanced down to see that Julia had not stirred.

Nodding to herself, she very carefully stood, and padded towards the door. She brushed off her skirt out of nervousness before opening the door with a smile. To her surprise, she was met with Janja's grinning face. "Hey, Shenzi," he greeted.

Shenzi's own smile widened in excitement. She hadn't been expecting a visit from the red-eyed hyena today. "Nice Hyena! H-hello," she exclaimed, before lowering her voice as she glanced back at the couch, reminding herself that there was a sleeping mammal in the room. "Ju-li-a is asleep," she whispered.

"That's fine, it's you I wanted to talk to, after all," he replied, giving her a reassuring smile. He kept his voice low, but he figured by the sound of Julia's snoring, they could be shouting and she wouldn't wake. "You know you can call me Janja, right?"

"Oh… well, I don't like using real names," Shenzi replied, rubbing her arms nervously. She didn't like talking about using real names, it brought up terrible memories. Besides, she preferred to focus on the now. Which, fortunately for her, meant happier times.

Janja's face twisted into a concerned expression as he debated on whether or not to press the issue. Deciding against it, he said, "Well, that's understandable. Are you going to invite me in?"

"Oh yeah! Right, sorry," Shenzi said quickly, stepping aside to let the other hyena in. She let out a sigh of relief as Janja's expression once again changed to his typical grin.

"It's no problem," he shrugged as he padded into the apartment. He couldn't help but notice how she flinched when he suggested she had done something wrong. Almost as if her paw was shooting up to her collar, expecting to be shocked. "You haven't thought to turn your collar back off?"

She blinked a few times as she processed his suggestion. "My collar? Why would I t-turn it o-off?" she asked, cocking her head. "I don't want to be shocked!"

"Shocked? No, you'd only be shocked if you made a mistake in turning it off. And from what I gather, you have as good an understanding of your collar as I do," he said.

"W-what if someone finds out?" she whimpered.

"Who would find out? It's harder to identify a deactivated collar than everyone expects, and you're surrounded by mammals who wouldn't say a word," he shrugged. "They only asked me to turn your collar back on… they didn't make me tell them you knew how to turn it back off."

"Still… I think I'd rather just keep it on…" she muttered. "Besides… Nice Fox and Nice Carrots don't shock me! There's no need for me to have it deactivated."

"Yes… at least you have that," he chuckled as he glanced at Julia's sleeping form, before walking over to the kitchen. She followed him, leaning on the counter as he opened the fridge and began pulling out materials to make a sandwich. "Hey, you want one too?"

"Uh… are you sure Nice Fox would want you taking his food?" she asked slowly.

"I'll leave him a gift, then, if it bothers you," he rolled his eyes, pulling his wallet from his pocket, and dumping a few twenties onto the counter. "Now, do you want one or not?"

"Yeah… sure, I guess I could eat," she nodded. He smirked and went about making two sandwiches, slapping the ingredients together carefully, before setting them on plates he found in a cabinet.

Noticing the concerned look she was giving him, he rolled his eyes again. "Fine, I'll wash the dishes too. Now will you stop worrying?" he asked, setting her sandwich in front of her, before hopping up on a stool behind the counter.

She watched him take a large bite out of his sandwich before nodding to himself. Although she was still a bit uncomfortable about Janja eating Nice Fox's food, he had already gone through the trouble of making her a sandwich. So she too took a big bite out of hers, before her eyes widened. "Mmm! This is good!" she said, her mouth full as she spoke.

"Thanks," he said, making sure he swallowed before speaking to her. "Though I guess half the credit goes to the fox. He had some fresh ingredients."

She nodded absentmindedly, before chowing down on her sandwich. She hadn't realized how hungry she was, as she had only gotten the few sausages Wolfgang didn't eat for breakfast. She wolfed down the sandwich quickly and managed to glance back over at Janja just as he was finishing his last bite.

"Hey, I wanna show you something," Janja grinned once he had finished.

"What do you want to show me?" Shenzi asked, cocking her head.

The male hyena grinned as he pulled something out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. "Here," he said as she held it up to her face, trying to determine what it was. "It's a phone."

"A phone?" she asked, setting it down on the table. "What should I do with this?"

"Keep it, duh," he chuckled. "It's a gift! I thought you might like the latest phone on the line, that way we could keep in touch."

"Well… uh…" Shenzi trailed off, looking down at her feet. "I don't know how to use a phone!" she admitted loudly.

He blinked a few times. "Really?" he asked, cocking his head in disbelief. "You've never used a phone?"

"Well, uh… not a phone like this," she replied. "I know how to type in a number and call someone… but I don't even know how to do that on something like this!" She remembered when she was first picked up by the Nice Fox and he let her call Banzai. Nice Fox had a phone like this, but he had already pulled up the number pad for her to type onto.

"Oh," Janja said softly, he hadn't thought of that. He had no idea that she wouldn't know how to use one. "Well… then how about I teach you? I'll teach you how to use this, and then we can call each other if you wanna come over and build something… and then I could come and get you. Unless you want a car instead," he chuckled

"I don't know how to drive a car either," she replied softly, not getting his jest. "Mommy told me that I would learn when I turned sixteen… but when I turned sixteen, Mean Lion scratched up my back. There's still scratch marks… I guess he doesn't like birthdays or something."

"Hmm…" Janja trailed off, mind whirling to find a solution. But a smirk rose on his face when he saw an opportunity. "I think you and I need to just spend a day together catching up on all the stuff you've missed out on. I'll teach you how to drive, use a computer, maybe even a few drinking games."

Shenzi flicked her ears, interested in the idea. But it did underline one thing that she had been thinking about in the back of her mind. "I… I don't know a lot of stuff," she muttered.

"Well, I wanna teach you," he gave her another smile. "I've got _lots_ of time on my hands. And I think Nick and Judy are a bit busy with work and, uh… Wolfy to help you."

"I don't think Nice Carrots or Nice Fox will mind…" she replied.

"Let's start with learning how to use a phone today," Janja suggested. "Maybe tomorrow or in a few days, I can come by again and teach you something else."

"That would be nice!" she said cheerfully. "So, how do I use this?"

Janja smiled as he picked up the phone and turned it so she could see what he was doing. "Okay… so this button here is the home button," he said, pressing the center button below the screen.

Janja taught Shenzi for well over a half hour, drilling in everything she would need to know. He taught her all about how her phone worked, both hardware wise and software wise. She was a fast learner, quickly learning everything there was to know. At the end of the half hour, he let out a sigh and handed the phone back to her, saying, "And that's how you use a phone."

"Wow!" Shenzi exclaimed loudly, no longer caring that Julia was asleep. Though the younger hyena only let out a louder snore, turning over in her sleep. "There's so many things you can do! And stuff to look at, and mammals to talk to, and things to touch… and you showed me how!"

"Of course, I'm always happy to help," he smiled, throwing his arm around her shoulder, giving her an odd hug. She almost didn't notice, as she was too busy marveling over the little device in her paws that she had completely mastered. "Now you can text or call me, Judy, Nick… anyone you know the phone number of."

"Oh… well, I only know one phone number," she replied, finally looking back up at him.

"Let's fix that, then," he grinned, plucking the phone from her paws, typing something in, and then handing it back to her. "Here's my number."

"Thanks!" she replied, still smiling happily. "The last time anybody showed me how to do anything was when Banzai showed me how to properly scratch someone who was scratching me. But I never used that… I always just got shocked."

Janja raised an eyebrow at the Banzai character she mentioned. "Who is this Banzai you speak of?" he asked carefully.

"He's my best friend!" she grinned. "We met when I was fourteen and I was contracted under the Mean Lion. He helped me do stuff! He fought a lot of the mean animals who tried to hurt me, because there were a lot of them at the diner. I… I think they liked it when I cried. Anyways, he was the most Nice mammal I met before Nice Fox and Nice Carrots. And he would visit me every day and we would talk and it would be nice because he wouldn't hurt me. And I liked him for that. And I think he liked me too! And he also made sure I wouldn't have to eat from the trash at lunch… he ordered food, _and_ let me eat it too!"

Janja's eyes narrowed when she said that she liked him throughout her rambling. Once again, his mind whirled as he tried to determine what she meant by that. "And what about me? What do you think of me?" he asked, soft smirk on his face.

"You're Nice Hyena!" she replied. "I like you too!"

He smiled at that and pulled her a bit closer. Though, he couldn't help but notice that she referred to Banzai by his real name. To her, he was just Nice Hyena. "I like you too," he replied a moment later. She was a bit naïve, perhaps. But maybe… this would get through to her. _Though, this Banzai might or might not be a problem…_ he muttered internally.

She smiled, enjoying the way he pulled her closer against him. "Uh… that's good! I think…" she said, trying to put an arm around him too.

"It's very good," he nodded, wondering if he should push his luck. He knew he had to be careful, as he wasn't sure what would set her off or not.

"Well… I mean, it feels good… that means it's good. Because if it hurts, it's bad," she surmised simply, not realizing the internal debate that was raging in his mind at the moment.

"Shenzi?"

"Yeah?"

He grabbed her chin gently and tilted her head down so he could press his lips against hers. Her eyes widened as he did, but he pulled away not a few seconds later. "Shenzi… I _really_ like you," he admitted with a wide grin.

He knew it was a longshot. Although he didn't quite understand what happened to her, he knew that it had resulted in her being a bit scatterbrained. He wasn't even sure if she knew what he meant. But… he had already resigned himself to teach her.

Shenzi frowned, cocking her head, confusion suddenly welling up inside of her. "Uh… I don't know… I like you too?" she said softly.

"Do you know what that means?" he asked.

"Uh… Banzai once told me that liking another mammal a lot was something special. And… what we did with our mouths was what Nice Carrots and Mean Wolf did… um… and I think Mean Wolf likes Nice Carrots a lot… but that's not special, I don't think," she managed. "Is it special?"

"Wolfy's relationship with the Bunny Cop is more complicated than that. It's more… one sided, but that's not important," he waved his paw in a dismissive fashion. Although he couldn't help but notice that she had brought up Banzai yet again. "What we have is special, though."

"Really? What makes it so special?" she asked, eyes sparkling in curiosity.

"Well that depends," he grinned, happy that she was willing to learn. "When two mammals like each other a lot, they start dating."

"What's that?"

"It's where two mammals who like each other a lot spend a lot of time together," Janja replied. "Beyond us building projects and me teaching you things."

"Oh," she said, nodding her head in understanding.

"Would you want to date me?" he asked, giving her a small smile.

"Uh…" Shenzi trailed off, not entirely sure how to answer. But, as she took a few seconds to think about it, she realized that she did really like him, and it didn't hurt. If liking him didn't hurt, then it wasn't bad. And if two mammals who like each other dated… "Yeah!" she said a moment later.

"That's great!" Janja grinned, wrapping his other arm around her and pulling her even closer against his body, though he was careful not to suffocate her. "I'm very glad to hear that."

A wide smile spread across her face as she heard the elation in his tone. He was really happy, which made her really happy too. She wrapped her arms around him and returned the hug, squeezing him as hard as he could. He chuckled as they finally pulled away several minutes later. "So… this is special, right?" she asked, still smiling widely.

"Of course, very special," he nodded, returning her smile. Happiness was infectious, after all. "We get to spend a lot of time together, maybe with a few kisses here and there. Maybe we could see a movie or go out to eat some night."

"Oh… so sorta like when Banzai helped me sneak out one night and we ate at a nice restaurant?" she asked, cocking her head. "I liked that… but Mean Lion found out and made me throw up everything I ate… then he wouldn't let me eat anything for a few days after… but there won't be any of that last part… right?"

Janja's eye twitched as he heard not only Banzai brought up again, but also the Mean Lion. _Whoever this lion was, he was a piece of shit, clearly. I wonder if there's anything I can do about him…_ he pondered to himself. _This warrants further research._ "Of course not. You get to keep everything that you eat with me. And there won't be any sneaking out… unless they keep you prisoner here or something," he chuckled. "But yeah, we'll do all sorts of stuff together."

"Like going on walks in the park? Or down to the beach?!" she gasped, tail wagging in excitement.

"If those are things you want to do, as well as a few… other things," he snickered.

"What other things? Can you show me?" she asked, flicking one of her ears.

"Maybe later," he shook his head, before sliding off his seat, and grabbing the dirty dishes. He headed towards the kitchen, intent on washing their dirty dishes. And maybe taking a soda on his way out.

"Why not now?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"It's not something we should do with your sister around," he replied, quickly rinsing the dishes off, before stuffing them in the dishwasher. Noticing it was full, he decided to go ahead and start it.

"Uh…" Shenzi trailed off. She wasn't sure exactly why he couldn't explain himself with Ju-li-a around, but there had to be options. She was curious, after all. "Ju-li-a is fast asleep, and if we close the door, there's the bedroom," she said. "Why can't she see it?"

He chuckled softly to himself as he raided Nick's fridge, searching for a can of soda, but only finding bottles of alcohol. _She has literally no idea what she just suggested,_ he sighed to himself. _Why the hell is there so much booze in here?_ "It's just something that should be done while we're alone. It's extremely intimate," he explained.

"What's that mean?"

"Do you have any idea what I'm suggesting?" he asked, shutting the fridge door. There wasn't anything he wanted to take with him.

"No," she admitted, shaking her head. "That's why I want you to teach me! That's what you said you wanted to do, right? Teach me?"

 _Damn it,_ he chuckled to himself. "Yes, that's true. But are you sure you want to understand?" he asked.

"Well… yeah," she nodded. "I like understanding things… that way other mammals can't call me stupid."

"Well…" he trailed off. He supposed it wouldn't hurt too much. "Something that's intimate is when two mammals remove all boundaries between each other."

Shenzi blinked a few times. "So why can't we do that now?" she asked, scratching her head.

"Do you remember me teaching you how to use the internet on your phone?" he asked as he padded towards the door.

"Yeah!" she nodded enthusiastically.

"Well then… this is a wonderful opportunity for you to teach yourself," he chuckled. "Search the word 'sex' and go to a website called 'Wikipedia.' You'll find the answers you seek there."

"Oh…" she trailed off as she watched him open the door. "Why can't you teach me, though? I like it when you teach me…"

"I would feel compelled to include a demonstration," he snickered. "Which I'm not sure you would appreciate or not." _Not to mention the fact that I still have no idea what happened to you…_ he realized. "But this way you'll be able to satisfy your curiosity… and if you _do_ happen to want a demonstration… well, you know where to find me."

"Oh… okay," she said slowly, glancing down at the phone she had left on the table.

"No matter what, I'll call you tomorrow… or maybe I'll drop by," he said as he headed out of the apartment, shutting the door behind him, humming a tune as he did.

She only nodded her head absentmindedly, still staring at her phone. She picked it up carefully and unlocked it. She went to the 'Google' app and typed in her desired query. Then she hit 'search.'

XXX

Nick, Judy, and Wolfgang made their way out of the precinct and towards their cruiser. Despite the white wolf's grumbling, Wolfgang was put in the back as Judy sat in the driver's seat with Nick right beside her. She started the cruiser and pulled out of the precinct parking lot. "Where to, Nick?" she asked before they had made it too far from the parking lot.

The fox nodded as he opened the case file Bogo had given them and glancing it over. "Alright, it looks like we're going to Tundra Town," he said, setting the file aside.

"Tundra Town it is," Judy nodded, focusing on the road, and taking a left when she knew she needed to.

They drove along for a few minutes, before Nick turned around to address the white wolf in the back. "Hey," the fox said, catching Wolfgang's attention. "Does a Tundra Town warehouse forty-two mean anything to you?"

Wolfgang seemed to think for a minute before nodding his head. "It does," he replied.

"Oh?" the fox asked, raising an eyebrow. "So, it was one of your warehouses, huh?"

"Not exactly," Wolfgang replied. "It's a bit more complicated than that."

"How so?"

"I don't, or didn't, I suppose, technically own the warehouse. It's owned by a buck named Jack," the wolf explained.

"Buck as in…" Judy trailed off, hoping Wolfgang would finish for her.

"A deer, Judy dear," he chuckled, to which the rabbit only rolled her eyes.

"If you didn't own the warehouse, then why does it mean something to you?" Nick growled, hoping to keep the wolf on topic.

"It's a mutually beneficial relationship," Wolfgang explained. "I only actually owned a very small number of warehouses throughout the city. All the other ones that manufacture weapons relied on me for protection and safe distribution, in return for a cut of the profits."

"So they worked with you because they knew if they didn't, you would destroy them and take them over forcefully?" Nick asked, crossing his arms. Paid protection was a typical mob tactic.

"They knew it was beneficial to be working with me. Without me, they couldn't move products nearly as securely," Wolfgang replied. "I wouldn't have had to do anything, actually. Without me, they would be defenseless against other crime groups or cops."

"Oh, I get it," Judy spoke up. "Since you went to jail and your empire fell, all the warehouses that you had this 'mutually beneficial agreement' with are now being targeted because you aren't there to protect them."

"Precisely," the white wolf nodded. "Unfortunately, warehouse forty-two manufactures some of the heaviest and most dangerous weapons I distributed."

"Like what?" the fox growled.

"Rocket launchers, heavy machineguns, high caliber tank shells," Wolfgang replied. "And several… untested prototypes."

"Really? The report says that the only thing taken was fish," Nick deadpanned. "It claims the warehouse is a part of a fishing company."

"At least they're trying to follow protocol," Wolfgang sighed. "It's standard procedure to report stolen wares to me… but since I've been gone, I suppose Jack's gotten desperate and reported it to the police."

"And he's not the only one, it seems. Bogo said there's been a string of warehouse robberies," Judy reminded him.

"I know. It's likely that more have gone unreported, but there's a good chance that when I look through the list the chief gave me, every single one is going to be one of mine," Wolfgang sighed. "They're getting desperate, and without me to hold them together, they're fracturing."

"Just makes it easier to take them down," Nick grumbled.

"Perhaps," Wolfgang mused. "But you would think that the more pressing matter would be whoever is stealing from my warehouses."

"That's why we're investigating the robberies," Judy said. "To see if we can find any connections between this robbery and all the others. That way we can determine whether or not there is a singular force stealing from your warehouses, or a multitude of forces."

"I have a feeling this is a singular force. One up and coming crime lord who thinks he can make it big," Nick smirked. "And we're here to shut him down."

"Maybe," Judy chuckled as the biomes changed and it began to snow. "But that's what this investigation is all about."

"Speaking of this investigation…" Wolfgang said slowly, making sure he had both of their attentions before continuing. "This is just information gathering, correct?"

"What do you mean by that?" Judy asked.

"No arrests are going to be made, right?" the wolf asked.

"Well, I think that depends on how cooperative the mammals working there are," the rabbit shrugged. "But yes, we aren't here to arrest anyone."

"Even though we really should," Nick grumbled, crossing his arms. "After all, we _know_ this warehouse was at the very least collaborating with Wolfgang, _and_ it is manufacturing weapons of significant destruction."

"I think a warning will suffice, Nick," Judy said. "Hopefully the fact that they were attacked is inspiration enough for the workers to move on and pursue a more… legal avenue."

"Whatever you say, Judy," the fox sighed, shaking his head. Technically, he was the higher-ranking officer here. If he wanted, he could arrest everyone in the warehouse, and there was nothing Judy could do about it. But he didn't want her angry at him.

The rest of the ride was relatively silent as they eventually came to a halt in front of a warehouse labeled forty-two. The three mammals hopped out of the cruiser, not even remotely affected by the cold. They only made it three steps before Wolfgang realized something was wrong. "Hold on, stop," he said.

"What is it now?" the fox growled, turning around to glare at Wolfgang.

"Do you notice anything odd?" the wolf replied, returning Nick's glare.

"Not really, why?" Judy asked, turning around as well.

"The lights are out," Wolfgang explained, gesturing to the warehouse's exterior lights. The continuous snowfall in Tundra Town meant that it was perpetually dark outside, most buildings always had their lights on. Whether they were open or not.

"So?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow. "I would think that a warehouse storing illegally manufactured weapons would want to remain as inconspicuous as possible."

"Ah, but this warehouse isn't trying to appear abandoned, as you suggest. If you remember, I said that this warehouse was operating under the guise as a fishing company," Wolfgang explained. "They're required to keep their lights on to remain inconspicuous."

"Maybe no one's home?" Judy asked, turning back towards the warehouse.

"Perhaps," Wolfgang shrugged.

"I still think we should take a look around, at least," Nick growled, padding towards the door. Judy nodded and followed him, with Wolfgang trailing behind them, paws jammed in the pockets of his suit jacket. Nick stopped at the door and peeked through the window, eyes narrowing to help him see in the darkness.

"I don't see anybody… I'm opening the door," the fox said as he reached up and grabbed the door handle. He managed to turn it and push the door open. They waited a few minutes, ears perked in case they heard any movement.

Hearing nothing, the two cops exchanged glances and padded into the massive room, the collared wolf behind them. They looked around to see the entire place quiet, with a few windows ajar, letting in little drafts of snow. The place seemed deserted.

"Right… Nick, you go left, I'll go right. Yell if you find something of interest," Judy said, turning towards the right and padding away. Nick nodded, turning towards the left and heading away.

"I'll just stand here and look like an idiot, then," Wolfgang grumbled as the two separated to search the building. He leaned against the doorway, knowing that the two cops didn't need his help searching the warehouse. And, if there _was_ anyone hiding out here, and they tried to run, they would run right into him.

Judy padded past huge steel shelves, using the flashlight on her phone to light the way, as she didn't have night vision like Nick. There were huge boxes on the shelves, but each one she glanced in was completely empty. _They must've once held weapons ready to be shipped,_ she realized as she moved on.

A cold wind blew through the warehouse, causing Judy to shiver. There was something wrong here, she could feel it in her gut. But she sucked in a breath and kept moving forward. She could see what looked like a small office on the back wall of the building, so she headed towards there.

But she didn't make it far. She paused in her step, ears swiveling as she heard the sound of hooves on concrete. Her mind whirled as she realized there must be someone else here. She swallowed and moved towards the sound, deciding not to call out to Nick, lest it alert whoever, or whatever, made the sound.

Suddenly, she saw a shadow of movement out of the corner of her eye, and before she could react, she felt something hit her. She flew off her legs and hit the shelf behind her, causing a loud _bang_ to echo through the warehouse.

Nick's ears flicked when he heard the bang, causing him to jerk his head in the direction Judy had disappeared to. "Judy?!" he called out, hoping to get a response.

Judy let out a groan, attempting to sit up, only to immediately regret that action. Her back was definitely bruised. She had heard Nick, but the wind had been knocked out of her, preventing her from responding to him.

The moment her blurry vision cleared, she looked up to see a deer standing above her. The deer was clearly male, as his antlers branched majestically from his head. _This must be Jack,_ she realized. But she felt her blood run cold as she saw the shotgun he was holding pointed at her.

Immediately assuming that this was a misunderstanding, Judy said, "I'm with the ZPD, put your weapon down." Her head was still spinning from the impact and she didn't immediately go for her own firearm.

The deer trained his weapon at Judy, but he didn't pull the trigger. "Dirty cop, who else is with you?!" he demanded. Judy's phone had fallen facedown so that the flashlight could illuminate the area, allowing both the herbivores to see clearly.

The buck heard the small _pitter-patter_ of paws against the concrete too late. "I am," Nick hissed, appearing by the deer's side, his gun pointed at him. He had heard the crash and after hearing no response from his partner, he had rushed over to see what the matter was. Seeing the deer pointing a shotgun at his bunny only enraged him, and he was tempted to shoot without any warning. "Put the gun down."

The buck swore under his breath, but didn't move his gun. "If you shoot me, I'll shoot the bunny!" he shouted.

"And if you shoot the bunny, I'll shoot you," Nick replied coldly, cocking his pistol to underline his point. "Put the gun down, sir."

The deer seemed to think for a moment. "B-but if I put down the gun… I'll be arrested!" he retorted.

"You were defending yourself… if you put the gun down, we won't arrest you," Judy said, unable to stop herself from staring down the barrel of the shotgun.

"Ha! I attacked a police officer… you're going to cuff me the moment I disarm myself! I see through your lies, stupid bunny!" the buck snarled, clearly frustrated.

"Hold on, calm down!" Nick said, noticing how the deer's trigger finger twitched. "We're here investigating stolen property from this warehouse. If you're not the thief, then you don't need to worry."

"You're here about the stolen property?" the deer asked, lowering his gun slightly, but not enough that it wasn't aiming at Judy. "I own this warehouse."

Nick lowered his firearm slightly as well, but just enough that it was no longer pointing at the buck's head. "If you own this warehouse, then you must've been the one to report the stolen property," he said.

"I did," the buck nodded, not looking away from the bunny.

"If you knew we were coming… then why did you attack us?" Judy asked, glaring at the deer. He was still pointing the shotgun at her, and she didn't dare try and stand up. Even though lying on the ground in her current position was starting to ache.

"I panicked alright!" the buck exclaimed, his trigger finger twitching again. "I've already been attacked once this week, I didn't want it to happen again!"

The fox let out a tired sigh as he lowered his weapon completely. "We're not here to arrest you, we're here to help you. Please put the gun down so we can talk," he said.

The buck's arms began to tremble, his trigger finger twitching again. He continued to stare at Judy, not moving his shotgun. He fought an internal battle, trying to decide whether or not to trust the fox. _He's paranoid,_ Judy sighed, knowing that there was nothing she could say or do to get him to make up his mind. _Hopefully Nick no longer pointing a gun at him will make him trust us._

The deer's breaths came out in heavy pants as he seemed to finally make up his mind. Raising the gun slightly, his finger twitched again, causing Nick's eyes to widen. But before the fox could raise his gun to initiate the standoff again, or before the buck could fire, a new voice rang out throughout the warehouse. "Jack?" Wolfgang said as he padded closer to the trio.

Wolfgang had gotten tired of waiting by the exit. He had heard a crash and some yelling, and after a quick mental debate, he decided to go investigate. To his surprise, he saw a buck he recognized. And he also saw a shotgun pointed at Judy.

The deer looked over at the newcomer and his eyes widened. "Wolfgang? Shoot them, quick! Help me!" he shouted, gripping his gun tightly.

The white wolf's eyes narrowed in a calculating sort of way as he attempted to determine the best way to get the buck to point the gun away from the mother of his child. "Calm down, Jack," he said smoothly, taking a few steps closer to the buck. "Besides, I'm unarmed."

"Since when are you ever unarmed? I've never seen you without… w-without… is that a collar?!" Jack exclaimed, his eyes widening even further as he glanced between Nick and Judy, then back to Wolfgang.

"It's a long story," the white wolf sighed. "Surely you knew I was arrested, right?"

"Y-yeah… but I thought…" Jack trailed off, looking down at Judy again. "It doesn't matter! Tell me which one has the shock remote and I'll shoot them! Then we can get that thing off you!"

Wolfgang thought for a moment, before saying slowly, "The fox has it."

Judy's eyes widened as Jack whirled around to point his shotgun at Nick. The fox barely had enough time to raise his own weapon, making sure the buck didn't fire as the two entered yet another standoff. "Wolfgang!" Nick snarled angrily as he glared at the deer.

"Wolfgang, what the hell?" Judy asked, leaping to her feet as he watched the white wolf pad closer to the trio.

"You filthy, little fox, show me the remote!" Jack snarled, his back to the white wolf. "Or I'll blow your brains out."

"You want to see the remote? Here it is, you bastard!" Judy growled, pulling out both her gun and her remote. Nick did the same, shoving one of his paws into his pocket to pull out the little black remote. Wolfgang paused when he saw Judy try and challenge Jack, but took one last step so that he was behind the buck.

"Wha? Wolfgang, they both have remotes!" Jack cried out, glancing back and forth between the rabbit and the fox, though he didn't aim his shotgun away from Nick. "What do I do?!"

"Go to sleep," the white wolf growled, making a fist with one paw, and hitting the buck as hard as he could on the side of the head, just below Jack's antlers. The deer staggered, dropping his shotgun, before collapsing onto his knees. He stayed there for a moment, before falling over on his side, completely knocked out.

Judy and Nick looked up at Wolfgang. "What the fuck?!" the fox growled, holstering his firearm, though he didn't put the remote back into his pocket. He was _really_ tempted to use it.

"What do you mean? I prevented him from killing either of you," Wolfgang shrugged. "Now I can carry him to his office and we can wait for him to wake up. Then we can have a proper chat, with no weapons."

"He likely has a _concussion_ , Wolfgang," Judy sighed. "We shouldn't move him."

"Either way, he'll be too groggy when he wakes up to be paranoid, and if we're lucky, he'll have forgotten about this entire incident," the white wolf explained.

"He could've shot me!" Nick exclaimed, glaring at Wolfgang.

"But he didn't," Wolfgang chuckled, leaning down to check Jack over.

"But he could've," Nick argued, clenching the remote tightly in his paw. "You purposefully made him point his gun at me! _What if he had shot me?!_ "

"Then that was a risk I was willing to take," Wolfgang growled, standing up the moment he knew Jack was fine. "I couldn't allow him to possibly shoot Judy, and I needed his back to me. You would've done the same."

"Fuck yeah, I would've done the same," Nick snarled. "And maybe I would've gotten lucky and he would've killed you."

"I think the point Nick is _trying_ to make is: why didn't you just talk Jack into putting the gun down?" Judy cut in, trying to diffuse the situation. She could see Nick struggling not to shock Wolfgang, and she hoped to prevent it. After all, both of them were fine, there was no need to shock the white wolf.

"Jack would not have believed me," Wolfgang explained. "He would have believed that you were somehow controlling me, and the fact that he spotted the collar on me, I would not have been able to change his mind."

"Okay… okay," Judy said slowly, glancing at Nick to still see him gripping the remote hard with his paw. "That's reasonable… just next time let's try talking the subject down instead."

"Whatever you say, Judy dear," Wolfgang sighed.

Judy let out a sigh of relief as Nick lowered the remote and slapped a paw to his head, rubbing his temples in frustration. It was silent for several minutes until Nick growled, "Alright, let's cuff him and get him into the cruiser."

"What?" Judy asked, cocking her head.

"What?!" Wolfgang snarled, glaring at the fox.

"Let's cuff him and get him into the cruiser," Nick repeated himself, not bothering to even look at Wolfgang, as his eyes were trained on Judy. "We need to get him to the precinct before he wakes up."

"Nick, he has a concussion. We can't move him," Judy protested, crossing her arms.

"Then we radio for an ambulance, whatever," Nick sighed. "We need to get him to a secure location so we can interrogate him."

"That's not necessary," Wolfgang protested. "I just told you that we'll be able to talk to him when he wakes up."

"Sorry, _Wolfy,_ " Nick growled. "But he attacked a police officer and he was being uncooperative, plus by the account you gave of him, I doubt he'll talk willingly."

"No, I said when he wakes up he'll have likely forgotten everything," Wolfgang said, taking a step closer to Jack.

"Or he'll see police and panic again," Nick retorted. "It'll be safer for everyone if we arrest him and get him to either a hospital or the precinct. Then we can extract information out of him."

"We don't have to do either of those things, though," Wolfgang said. "Let me move him to his office and I'll sit with him until he wakes up. I can keep him calm long enough to explain what's going on, and get everything we need out of him."

"I don't exactly trust you after that stunt you pulled," Nick snarled. "We're arresting him, and we're going to make sure we get everything out of him that we need. Then he'll be going away for a long time."

Nick took a step toward Jack, pulling a pair of pawcuffs from his belt, but Wolfgang blocked his path. "No," the white wolf growled. "I said it's _not_ necessary."

"Why should I give a shit whether you think it's necessary or not?" Nick growled. "Get out of my way."

"Nick…" Judy trailed off as she watched the fox raise the remote again.

"What, Judy?" the fox snarled. "Are we just going to forget that not only did this buck _attack_ you, but also that he collaborated with _him_ , and that he's an illegal weapons manufacturer?!"

"Well, no," Judy sighed.

"Glad you agree," Nick growled, glaring up at Wolfgang. "Get out of the way, or I'll put you down."

"I'm not going to let you ruin his life," Wolfgang said, crossing his arms. "I'm not moving."

"Fine, have it your way," the fox hissed, slamming his thumb on the remote button.

Wolfgang's reaction was immediate. He let out a loud howl that quickly became a scream as he collapsed to his knees. But he didn't keel over. Instead, he kept glaring at Nick, struggling to keep his eyes open as the electricity coursed through him.

So Nick kept his finger on the button, not letting go until Wolfgang finally lost consciousness, and collapsed onto his side, just like Jack. Even then, Nick didn't let go of the button immediately, as he panted hard, glaring at the unconscious wolf for several more seconds until he felt Judy's paw on his.

"That's enough, Nick," she said softly.

The fox finally relaxed, letting go of the button, before letting his arm fall against his side again. "He doesn't get to make the decisions around here," Nick growled, pocketing the remote.

"I know, Nick, I know," Judy sighed. "But still… that might've been a bit too much."

"It was revenge for the stunt he tried to pull," the fox growled. "I could see it in his eyes, Carrots… he _wanted_ that buck to shoot me."

"Probably," she muttered as she padded over to the white wolf.

"I'll radio for backup and an ambulance. I don't want to wait here for one of them to wake up," he said, walking over to Jack to cuff him. "Besides, it's freezing in here."

Judy snorted as her fingers wormed their way underneath Wolfgang's collar, searching for his pulse. She searched for a few seconds before her eyes widened and her ears dropped behind her head. "Nick?" she asked softly.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure to call two ambulances," she all but whispered. "Wolfgang doesn't have a pulse and he isn't breathing…"

XXX

 **Ah, there we go. Finally. You all have no idea how different this chapter is than it was originally in my outline. This entire second arc, when I first wrote it down, I was a bit iffy about. Partly because of how this chapter originally went down, and for what's going to happen next chapter. But I won't say anything about that, because you'll all find out eventually.**

 **But I have one thing to note before I leave you. About Janja and Shenzi. Now… I wouldn't normally do this. But I'm actually kinda surprised by how…** ** _little_** **Janja is being brought up in the reviews. I normally wouldn't point out a character like this, but I think I probably should. I'm not sure if you all still think the red-eyed hyena is nothing more than a background character, or if you think his actions don't warrant any notice, but I will say that Janja is swiftly becoming an important character. I thought maybe two chapters ago when he appeared in each section it would make that impression, but hopefully the first section of this chapter really underlines it. I won't say 'please focus on Janja in the reviews,' but I do wonder what, if anything, you all think of him.**

 **With that said and done, this is where I bid you adieu. I know not when I'll be posting for this story again, but I will assure you again that it will be on a Saturday. Maybe in two weeks, maybe in three. Please stay tuned until then!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 - Gray:

Author's Note:

` **I'm sure many of you have noticed that the description/summary for this story has changed. I've been getting several complaints that the description is misleading. And you know what, I agree. It is a bit misleading. And the reason it's misleading is because I wrote the description for this story before I knew quite where it was going. If you don't already know, this story is a collaboration between myself and another author named All Hail King Scar. When I first started posting chapters of this story, we had not yet finished the first arc of this story. So I made a guess as to where we were going to go. But, this story has been finished for a while now (AHKS and I finished it back in March) and I've been meaning to update the description. And since a few weeks ago we had to go back and rewrite a part of the story, I had the time to start thinking about what to change the description to. And now I've finally updated it.**

 **Anyways, with that out of the way, I can move on to the reviews! Medic, thank you for reviewing! First, I'll have to say that it's hilarious how you kept misspelling Janja's name as 'Janji.' I'm sure he'd get a good laugh out of that too. But I want to focus on your second review. I actually quite enjoyed 'Medic Fails at Predicting the Future' (your words) and I was a little disappointed you hadn't included one in your first review. But your second review came through for me! I'm glad you (and seemingly a lot of other people) are enjoying the JanjaxShenzi ship, I enjoyed writing that too. All I'm actually going to say about your prediction is that… if you want to hedge your bets… hedge them on Dragon-God. He's… almost infuriatingly good at predicting the future of my stories. Oh, and also, technically, the JanjaxShenzi ship is happening this story (did you not read the last chapter? They're dating now… though Shenzi doesn't quite know what that means).**

 **Ooh, this is getting a bit long, but I have one last thing to say to Medic. You brought up the idea of an AU. And that's sorta interesting to me… well, mostly because AHKS and I have been working on several different AU's of the story (as, like I said, we finished it back in March and needed something to occupy our time with). I don't know if we'll actually post any of them, but if you're curious, I might be willing to talk. And with** ** _all_** **that said, we can actually get to the story. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Judy and Nick watched silently as Wolfgang and Jack were both loaded into separate ambulances. The paramedics had managed to restart the white wolf's heart, but the pulse was very weak. Normally, they wouldn't have bothered with saving the life of a collared criminal, let alone as one as infamous as Wolfgang Fritz, but the bunny cop had insisted.

"Well, that was a bust," Nick grumbled as he turned to walk away. The sounds of the ambulances' sirens waned as they drove away from the warehouse, leaving just the fox and bunny behind.

"I guess so," Judy sighed, following behind the fox back to their cruiser. "I don't think he's going to want to talk to us, no matter what we do."

"Yup," he growled, hopping into the driver's seat, Judy pulling herself up into the passenger's seat at the same time. "But it's clear that something went down here."

"What do you mean?" she asked, cocking an ear as he started the cruiser.

"I don't know if you noticed or not, because you were busy fretting over the wolf," he said, casting a sideways glance at her. "But I went and took another look around. And I found bullet casings and blood splatters."

"No bodies, though, right?" she asked, gulping slightly.

"No… I didn't find any bodies," he replied. "But there was a lot of blood, and a lot of casings."

"So… you're saying that there _could_ be dead bodies?" she observed.

"Possibly. Or it could mean that there were a lot of employees at this warehouse, and a lot of them got hurt in the scuffle," he said. "But I definitely think this wasn't an ordinary theft."

"No… the buck said that he was attacked," Judy said.

"Judging by the blood and casings, it was more of a full-scale assault on the warehouse," Nick responded.

"It's a wonder no one heard the gunfire and reported it, then," she muttered.

"Not in Tundra Town," he shook his head. "When mob bosses like Mr. Big operate mostly in Tundra Town, mammals have learned not to question loud bangs in the night. And even if anyone _did_ report it, which would be unlikely, the police would've ignored it."

"Wow, is Tundra Town really that bad?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sometimes. But I think what we have here is definitely gang violence. Some up-and-coming crime lord notices that the Big Bad Wolf is no longer a player in the game and attempts to make a move on undefended product," he said.

"I guess that's what happens when you upset the food chain," Judy observed. She almost wanted to say that it might've been a bad idea to arrest Wolfgang, who was mostly harmless. But she held her tongue and banished the thought to the back of her mind.

"No kidding. But now we've got our work cut out for us," he chuckled. "With Wolfgang down for the count, we need to figure out if the multiple warehouse robberies are all related, and if so, are they all being done by one mammal in charge."

"Maybe we should ask Mr. Big," she suggested.

"We can't," he shook his head again. "Mr. Big is getting sicker and sicker and he isn't accepting requests at the moment. Not to mention I… might've used our last favor with him to see if he could help me get you back."

"Oh… I had no idea," she muttered. "What if he dies too and we start seeing the same thing happening to his empire?"

"That's a possibility, but I don't think it's very likely," he said. "Mr. Big has an heir. The reason everything's going to hell for the Fritzes is because we took out all the eligible leaders. It created a power vacuum."

"Well, if we can't rely on Mr. Big, then we'll have to do this ourselves," she sighed. "You said there were blood samples, right? What if we ran DNA tests?"

"There'd be no way to distinguish who left the blood," he said. "Whether it was an employee or one of the assailants."

"What about an employee manifest?"

"I don't know if a criminal organization would have employee manifests," Nick deadpanned.

"No, think about it!" Judy grinned. "A criminal organization is just like any regular business, they're just doing it illegally. They'll still want a list of employees so they know who to pay how much."

"You might have a point, Carrots," the fox grinned. "But where would we find this employee manifest?"

"Did you check the buck's office?"

"Yeah, I didn't find anything. Not even a computer," he shook his head.

"Well, I know you may not like to admit this, but Wolfgang might be of some use here," she suggested. "If he was an active part of this mutually beneficial relationship, he might know where to find the employee manifest."

"Damn it, Fluff, when you're right, you're right," Nick sighed. "So we have a plan?"

"Yeah. We'll find the list of employees and run DNA tests on the blood found at the scene. We'll cross reference the DNA matches with the employees and single out anyone who doesn't work there," she beamed, excited that there was still a chance to solve this case, even without the buck's cooperation.

"What if it was an inside job?" the fox asked with a playful smirk.

"I figure we could hunt down and arrest the employees no matter what and see if any of them will talk, just to make our jobs easier," she said. "Even if they don't, and if it _does_ turn out to have been an inside job, then we'll already have all the suspects in custody. All that we would have to do then is find the weapons. But I don't think it's an inside job."

"If you say so, Carrots. But in a power vacuum like this, anything is possible," he chuckled. "Shall we tell the Chief what's going on?"

"Yeah, I think he'll be interested to know," she nodded. "And who knows? He might want us working on something else."

"I suppose you never know," Nick shrugged as he drove out of Tundra Town and headed towards the precinct. The drive was short, as Nick knew every shortcut and backstreet to take to avoid traffic and long stoplights.

They made it back to the precinct without trouble, before parking their cruiser and heading inside the building. The duo waved at Clawhauser as they passed him by, heading straight for Bogo's office.

"Enter," Bogo growled after Nick knocked on the door. After the fox had joined the police force, Bogo saw fit to include a second handle for the smaller mammals, allowing them to enter and exit his office without him having to get up every time. The door was still heavy, but not heavy enough to prevent either the fox or bunny from opening it themselves.

The two small mammals pushed the door shut behind them, before crossing the small office and pulling themselves onto the chair that sat across from Bogo. The cape buffalo himself watched the duo entered with his head resting on one of his hooves, propped up on his desk with his elbow. His other hoof absentmindedly sorted through the papers that littered the desk.

Dark bags had formed underneath his eyes, showing that he had been awake for several days in a row. He was likely running solely off coffee and sheer persistence at the moment as his two best officers righted themselves in the chair. "No Wolfgang?" he asked, fighting back a yawn.

"Er… he's in the hospital, sir," Judy said. "There was a little incident at the warehouse, and we had to shock him."

"I see," the cape buffalo nodded. "Then I'm guessing he hasn't had the time to look over that folder I gave him, then?"

"No sir," Judy shook her head.

"That's a shame," Bogo growled. "What about you two, what news do you have?"

"Well, we ran into the owner of the warehouse, and he was hostile. He's currently in the hospital as well," Nick explained. "We weren't able to extract much from him… just that his warehouse was apparently attacked."

"Attacked?" Bogo asked, leaning back in his seat. "So… it wasn't a simple theft of wares, then?"

"That's what we're thinking," Judy nodded. "Nick also found blood and bullet casings, a pretty clear sign that something definitely went down."

"We figure we wait until the owner of the warehouse to regain consciousness, and try interrogating him again in a controlled environment. Neither Judy nor I think that we'll be able to get anything from him, but we're hoping Wolfgang might know where to find a list of employees," Nick said. "If we can manage to get our paws on one, we might be able to cross-reference the DNA from the blood splatters with the list and possibly identify the mammals that attacked the warehouse."

"That sounds like a good plan, what if none of the assailants left behind blood splatters?" Bogo asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"We have to try, chief," Judy said. "If I believed that we could actually get any reliable information from Jack, the owner of the warehouse, I would suggest putting all our efforts in interrogating him, but as it stands right now, finding the employee manifest and cross-referencing the DNA from the blood splatters is out best bet."

"Then we have a tentative lead," Bogo sighed, rubbing his temples. "And if we manage to connect the thefts, then we might actually be able to catch these bastards."

"Chief, if you don't mind me asking, were the other warehouses not attacked? If they weren't attacked in this same fashion, then there's no reason to suspect that this theft is connected to the others," Judy said.

"Under normal circumstances, you would be correct, Hopps," the cape buffalo sighed. "However, considering how cagey and unwilling the employees at the other warehouses were, we cannot rule anything out."

"But were the other warehouses attacked?" Nick asked, realizing the chief didn't answer Judy's first question.

"At first glance, no, the other warehouses were not attacked. However, the warehouse you two visited brings up new questions. It seems like a break in the pattern, but then again, if we have reason to believe the other warehouses' employees were lying to us…" Bogo trailed off. "In any case, we need to see if there's anything connecting this warehouse robbery with the others."

"Of course, sir," Judy nodded. "We'll get right on that. The moment Jack wakes up."

"Under normal circumstances, I would tell you to go wild, Hopps," Bogo sighed. "Unfortunately, I'm going to have to reassign the two of you."

"Uh… why, chief?" Nick asked, cocking his head.

"How familiar are you two with the 'Shock Collar Executioner'?" Bogo asked, crossing his arms.

"Vaguely, sir," Judy admitted.

"I'm not surprised, he was a bit before your time. But, I hope you are at least aware that he is a serial killer that uses a flaw in the shock collars to electrocute his victims to death. At one point, he operated here in Zootopia, but after flaw was patched, he left. We never managed to catch him, nor track where he went," Bogo explained. "However, he seems to have popped up again in Pawaii."

"Same MO?" Nick asked, raising eyebrow.

"Indeed," the chief nodded.

"Why are you telling us this?" Judy asked.

"A few days ago when the killings started, I received a call from the Pawaii state police chief, asking me to send over everything I could on the case we built here. About an hour ago, I received a call from the mayor, telling me that the governor of Pawaii is asking for assistance," the cape buffalo explained.

"Chief… are you sending us to Pawaii?" Judy asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Don't you need us here?"

"I do need you here. But… considering how _important_ Pawaii is to our mayor, he's twisting my arm here. You two were requested specifically," Bogo growled.

"Is there any precedent for this?" Nick asked.

"Some. But typically, officers are sent to neighboring states, not across the country," the cape buffalo grumbled. "But, like I said, I don't have much of a choice. And neither do you. I'll give you copies of the files I already sent over, that way you can familiarize yourselves with the case."

"What about the case we're working on now?" Judy asked.

"You two have made enough progress today that a different team can take over," he replied.

"What… what about Wolfgang?" she asked. "He won't be able to come with us, will he?"

"No, I'm afraid it's just going to be you and Wilde," he said, crossing his arms. Nick let out an internal cheer, happy to get a few days away from the white wolf. "However, if you are worried about keeping Wolfgang under control, I can put a police detachment on him."

"A police detachment?" Judy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who do you have in mind?"

"Someone who knows Wolfgang," Bogo responded. "Wolfard is the obvious choice."

"I thought you said he was on probation," Nick cut in.

"He is. Keeping an eye on a collared criminal that happens to be his cousin seems like a fitting task for an officer on probation," Bogo smirked.

"Well… I guess he's the appropriate choice. As long as you think he's safe to interact with Wolfgang," Judy said.

"After Wolfgang's sister, Katherine Fritz, attacked him, Wolfard lost faith in Wolfgang. While I do not believe he hates his cousin so much that he might attempt to kill the white wolf, he also doesn't love his cousin enough to let Wolfgang do whatever he wants," Bogo said. "The information Wolfard gave during Wolfgang's arrest was reliable, but he made it clear he didn't want his cousin to die."

"I suppose that's the best-case scenario," Nick shrugged, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out Wolfgang's remote. "Still, I don't trust Wolfgang, so he'd better take this."

"Oh… and you should also probably tell Wolfard he's going to have to deal with Julia and Shenzi too," Judy said as Nick handed his remote to Bogo.

"You have _three_ collared servants?" the cape buffalo muttered, before giving the remote back to Nick. "In that case, you can give this to him when you see him. You're going to have to give him a tour, and tell him everything he needs to know about the two other contracts he'll be dealing with."

"Of course, sir," Judy nodded as Nick took his remote back.

"After you get him situated, I expect you to leave immediately. The governor of Pawaii has sent a private jet for you, and the Pawaii state police chief will be waiting for you when you arrive," the chief said.

"Understood," Nick nodded, standing up to leave.

"One last thing before you go," Bogo said before the two could bolt. They always did get excited for a new case. Especially one as important as a serial killer. "Unless your help is _really_ needed for longer, I'm giving you two a week over there. So try and have the case solved by then."

"Yes sir!" the two chorused, before padding towards the door.

XXX

Julia sucked in a breath and let it out in a soft snore. The young hyena had spent the entire day napping on the couch. It was her favorite, and really her only, pastime as of late. After all, what else could she do cooped up in Nick and Judy's rather small apartment?

She had spent the past eight years in Wolfgang's mansion. A _mansion_. A house so big that there were _still_ rooms she had never been in, and corners she had yet to explore. And the mansion had everything. An arcade, ping-pong tables, air hockey, a full-length basketball court, a pool, and even a hot tub. Wolfgang's brother even had a 'man cave' that she technically wasn't allowed in. Though she snuck in occasionally to play videogames.

Having spent her teen years in that house, she had never once been bored. Adding in the fact that Wolfgang loved to spoil her and the other servants. He practically threw cash at them to keep them happy. Compared to that, occasionally having to do the laundry, or mop the kitchen floor was a low price to pay for the hyena.

But she was bored in Nick's apartment. The only things to do were to watch TV, which she never really enjoyed doing, or sleep. And so, every day without fail, after Nick and Judy left for work, Julia found the most boring thing she could find on television and watched it until she fell asleep. And she typically slept until the police officers came home.

But today was not a typical day, Shenzi had been left behind as well. And while Julia had told her sister to be quiet while she slept, she knew that it was only a matter of time until Shenzi accidentally woke her. She knew she could tune out the television, as she usually fell asleep with it on anyways, but what she was unable to tune out was a sharp _yip!_

The sound seemed to reverberate throughout the small apartment, rousing Julia from her slumber. She didn't open her eyes, however, rather she shut them tighter and rolled over, burying her face into the pillow in an effort to return to her dreamscape. But once again, another sound rang out, this one sounding more like a mewl.

Julia let out a groan as her eyes popped open, another mewl echoing through the apartment. _What the hell?_ she wondered as she rolled off the couch. She stood up and pricked her ears, the mewls coming faster and louder than before. Her ears flicked as she realized that the pitch was deepening into something that sounded more like a moan.

Her cheeks flushed red as she realized what must be happening somewhere in the apartment. Her mind jumped to conclusions as she pinpointed where the moans were coming from. Nick and Judy's room.

She carefully made her way over to the doorway leading to Nick and Judy's room. The door was cracked, having not quite been shut all the way. She licked her lips slowly before pushing the door open, another loud moan emanating from the room. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw what who was making all that noise.

It was Shenzi, who was laying on Nick and Judy's bed on her back, holding a phone up to her face. Her legs were spread as far as she could get them to with her skirt still on. Her panties were around her ankles and she was ramming her fingers in and out of her core as fast as she could. Her tongue had lolled out of her mouth, causing her to pant whenever deep moans weren't emanating from her maw.

"Shenzi!" Julia hissed, hoping to catch the other hyena's attention.

The older hyena looked up from her phone and, without stopping her fingers, gave Julia a wide smile. "Ju-li-a!" she exclaimed, before another moan ripped from her throat.

 _She doesn't realize that she should be embarrassed,_ Julia realized as she reluctantly watched Shenzi continue to pump her fingers in and out of her. "Um… Shenzi?" the younger hyena asked, covering her eyes with her paws. She could hear a _squelching_ sound between Shenzi's moans.

"Y-yeah?" Shenzi panted, not glancing away from her phone.

"Can you, uh… stop for a moment?" Julia asked. She didn't want to outright panic. She had no idea what her sister's reaction would be.

"Oh… yeah, I c-can do that," Shenzi nodded, pausing the video she was watching on her phone, before pulling her fingers from her folds. She wiped her glistening fingers on her skirt before sitting up.

Julia let out a sigh, before padding over and sitting down next to her sister. She wracked her mind on how to approach this situation. In the end, she could only ask, "Where'd you get the phone?" _Maybe it's best to pretend I didn't just walk in on her masturbating,_ she sighed to herself.

"Nice Hyena gave it to me!" Shenzi grinned, completely unaware of the awkward tension in the air. She was still panting, though not quite as heavily.

"Janja was here?" Julia muttered, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! Nice Hyena came by to give me this phone. And he made me lunch too!" Shenzi giggled happily. "He also taught me how to use this!" she waved the phone in Julia's face, giving her a glance at the video the older hyena was watching.

"Well, that was nice of him," Julia gave Shenzi a smile, electing to ignore what was on the screen of the phone.

"That's because he's Nice Hyena!" the older hyena returned Julia's smile. "And he even said that we were… uh… d-da… date… dating!" she said, struggling to remember the term the red-eyed hyena had used.

"Dating?" Julia asked, narrowing her eyes. "You and Janja are… dating?" She wasn't entirely sure how to wrap her mind around it. She wasn't sure what was stranger, the fact that Janja, a man even more powerful than Wolfgang had ever been and an even bigger loner than the white wolf, or that he had chosen Shenzi, who's mental age had been reduced to that of a child from years of torture and abuse.

Julia had known Janja for nearly as long as she had known Wolfgang. After all, the two males spent most of their time together sparring, the red-eyed hyena teaching the white wolf the ways of the blade. And never once, in all her time of knowing Janja, had she seen him with a female, nor had he ever looked at her with anything other than a glare of disapproval. As if he was disappointed in her somehow. It didn't help to learn that he lived in his massive mansion with only one, male, collared servant to help keep the place clean.

But Shenzi was completely unaware of Julia's internal monologue. "Yup! I like Nice Hyena lots!" she grinned happily. "He said that if we were dating, he could teach me all sorts of things! And then I'd be able to understand lots of things, and other mammals wouldn't be able to call me stupid!"

"Well, we wouldn't want that," Julia smiled along with her sister, the older hyena's happiness being infectious. "So… Janja told you to… uh… do this?" she asked, gesturing towards her sister's skirt, which was thankfully covering everything it was supposed to.

"No… Nice Hyena told me to look up 'sex' on the internet. I was a little scared at first… when I learned it was the mean thing that Mean Lion did to me," Shenzi admitted, shivering slightly. "But then I found out that what Mean Lion did was something different!"

"Very different," Julia nodded. She knew exactly what Janja was doing, and to her misfortune, she couldn't think of a way to stop him. If the red-eyed hyena was teaching Shenzi, and allowing her sister to start to become normal… she didn't see any reason to stop him.

"Yeah! There's no clawing… no biting… no leaving horrible… ugly white lines all over my body," Shenzi's voice started to become softer as she shivered again, gulping slightly. But she shook her head rapidly and her cheery tone came back not a minute later. "None of it! It's supposed to feel good!"

"Yeah… um…" Julia cleared her throat as she tried to find the right words. "Well… the thing is, Shenzi… you really shouldn't do… _this_ … here."

Shenzi's ears flattened on top of her head and her tail stopped wagging as her eyes widened. "Oh… did I do something wrong?" she whimpered, suddenly afraid.

"No… it's just…"

"Because Nice Hyena said it wasn't something I should do around you…" Shenzi admitted, looking down at her feet. "I wasn't even going to do anything… but it just started to… ache down there, I had to touch it! I couldn't… stop…"

"No, I know," Julia admitted. "Female hyenas like us have quite a high sex drive. I'm not saying that you _shouldn't_ have done it… I'm just saying, don't do it in the future. At least not here."

"Then where?" the older hyena asked, flicking on of her ears.

 _God, I can't believe I'm going to suggest this…_ Julia muttered to herself. "The next time you get an urge like that… you should call Janja, and let him help you," she said. _It sounds like I'm playing right into his paws…_

"I remember Nice Hyena saying that I could ask for a demonstration once I found out what it was," Shenzi nodded.

"Well, maybe you can call him tomorrow," Julia sighed. "Right now, you should get yourself cleaned up. Take a shower… a cold one, please."

"Alright!" Shenzi giggled, hopping off the bed onto her feet. She started to walk away, but paused in her step, before whirling around. "Oh! I almost forgot!" she exclaimed, shoving her phone back in Julia's face. "Doesn't she look like mommy?"

The blush returned to Julia's cheeks as she saw what was on the screen. It was a closeup of a naked female hyena, who was being taken from behind by what Julia thought was a male hyena. Her eyes narrowed as she looked closely at the female's face before she glanced up at Shenzi's smiling face. It did look a lot like her mother. "Uh… yeah… it kinda does," she shrugged.

"I thought so!" Shenzi grinned, before pushing her phone in Julia's paws. "I shouldn't have that while I shower!"

Julia tried to say no, but Shenzi had already run off towards the bathroom before the younger hyena could say anything. Grumbling to herself, Julia looked at the screen again, staring at the female hyena for several minutes.

Finally, unable to contain her curiosity, she hit the play button. She watched the video for several moments, ignoring the heat that began pooling between her legs. The entire time, she was focused on the female hyena. And the scar across her face, just like the one Julia's mother had. _What the hell is mom doing in a video like this?_ Julia wondered.

XXX

Wolfard was waiting for the duo when they exited the precinct. He wasn't in uniform, which was a bit odd for Nick and Judy to see, as they had only ever seen the timber wolf in uniform. He stood next to what they presumed to be his car, a simple Volkswagen.

"Hey guys," Wolfard said as the two trotted up to him. A frown was etched onto his face, clearly, he was upset to being demoted from lieutenant to babysitter.

"Hey Wolfard," Judy greeted, giving him a small smile. Nick only waved at the wolf.

"Please… just Gray," Wolfard sighed. "You can start calling me Wolfard again when I get my badge back."

"Oh, okay then, Gray," Judy said, her eyes widening slightly. Wolfard had always been secretive about his first name.

"So, how much longer are you going to be on probation?" Nick asked, trying to keep the conversation moving. Even he hadn't known his comrade's first name.

"Until you guys get back from Pawaii," the timber wolf replied, crossing his arms.

"So I guess it's in your best interest for us to be as swift as possible, then," Nick chuckled.

"You have no idea," Wolfard replied, a smile finally gracing his muzzle. "In any case, I'll be your ride to the airport, so if you guys will just show me to your place so you can pack and give me everything I need, you can be on your way."

"Right," Judy nodded. "Just follow us," She and Nick headed towards their car, and took off towards their apartment, Wolfard following behind them. It wasn't a long drive, as Nick lived only a few blocks away.

They led Wolfard up to Nick's apartment, opening the door to see Julia asleep on the couch. Though Shenzi was not in sight. Nick rolled his eyes and slammed the door loudly after Judy and Wolfard had made it into the apartment. The _bang_ of the door slamming caused Julia to practically leap off the couch.

She turned to glare at the offenders, her eyes widening slightly when she spotted Wolfard. "Was that really necessary?" she growled, picking herself up off the bed.

"Yes," Nick replied, heading towards his bedroom to start packing, leaving Judy behind to explain what was going on.

"Where's Shenzi?" Judy asked as Nick padded away.

"She's in the bathroom," Julia grumbled. "And she has been for over an hour."

"Is she okay?" the rabbit asked.

"Probably. She only just stopped humming loudly ten minutes ago," the hyena sighed, before glancing at Wolfard again. "What is he doing here?"

Judy sucked in a deep breath. "Bogo assigned Nick and I to a case in Pawaii, and we can't take any of you with us. Neither Nick nor Bogo trusts Wolfgang alone here with just you and Shenzi, and technically we aren't supposed to leave collared slaves unsupervised for long periods of time," she explained. "So Gray's gonna look after you until we get back."

"Like a babysitter," Julia deadpanned. It was both humiliating for her and embarrassing for Wolfard.

"Well… yeah, basically," Judy sighed, knowing that the hyena wouldn't take it too well. "But he's mainly here to look after Wolfgang."

"Whatever," Julia rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore why Wolfard was even chosen in the first place. "Speaking of Wolfy, where is he?"

"Ah… right…" Judy trailed off. "Well… Wolfgang's in the hospital."

"What? Why?!" Julia immediately exclaimed, and even Wolfard gave her a concerned look.

"He was being uncooperative, and Nick shocked him… it stopped his heart," Judy explained. "But he's okay! He's going to be fine… he just needs to rest," she said a moment later, hoping to prevent Julia from panicking.

"Oh god…" the hyena muttered as she sat back down on the couch.

The rabbit swallowed and turned towards the timber wolf. "So… tomorrow you're going to have to go and pick him up from the hospital," she said. "You'll probably also have to explain to him what's going on. Nick and I won't be able to make it to the hospital to do that."

"Of course, that won't be a problem," Wolfard nodded. "As long as I'm not footing the bill."

"Wolfgang still has some of his fortune, he'll be able to pay for his visit," Judy nodded. "But, on the subject of shock collars…"

"I assume you don't want me to put him in the hospital again," the timber wolf chuckled.

"That would be preferable, yes," Judy sighed, taking Wolfgang's remote out of her pocket. "A single tap of the button will knock him unconscious for about five minutes. I wouldn't recommend holding the button down, I doubt he'll try and fight the shock like he did today again."

"Hopefully I won't have to shock him at all," Wolfard muttered, taking the remote from Judy's paw.

"I hope not too," Judy nodded, giving Wolfard another small smile. At least he had the right mindset. "But this is a precaution. As far as the others go, Julia doesn't have a remote, but her manual works just fine… but you shouldn't really have a reason to shock her."

"I doubt it, she and I are pretty good friends," the timber wolf said, glancing at the hyena. Julia snorted and rolled her eyes, but didn't correct him. "Or at least, we used to be," he sighed.

"Right… oh, have you met Shenzi?" Judy asked.

"I have, actually. It was while you were… Wolfgang's prisoner," Wolfard said.

"Oh, well that's convenient. You already know all the collared mammals here," Judy said, smiling slightly. "You don't have to worry too much about Shenzi, I'm sure Julia, her sister, will take care of her most of the time. But I just want to be clear… don't, no matter what, shock Shenzi."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Wolfard said, holding his right paw out into the air as if he was swearing to tell the truth.

"Good," Judy nodded as Nick came out of their bedroom, pulling a large suitcase behind him. "Did you already pack my things?" she asked the fox as he approached her.

"Yeah. A few uniforms and a couple of casual outfits as well," Nick replied. He had changed into his favorite Pawaiin shirt, deciding he didn't want to fly to Pawaii wearing his uniform. Hopefully they would be able to check into a hotel before they were shoved headfirst into the case.

"Aw, thanks," Judy grinned, padding over to him and helping him maneuver the large suitcase.

"No problem, Fluff," the fox chuckled. "Have you told him everything he needs to know?"

"Yeah, I think so," the rabbit nodded. "He won't really be working, and all he has to do is keep an eye on Wolfgang. I think his biggest problem is going to be preventing boredom,"

"I'll figure it out," Wolfard said.

"Good luck with that," Nick smirked, before holding his remote for Wolfgang's collar. "I know Judy already gave you hers, but having a backup might not be a bad idea."

"If you insist," the timber wolf shrugged, accepting the other remote, and following the two smaller mammals towards the door.

"Alright, Carrots, let's get a move on!" the fox grinned, heading towards the door. He was excited to have some time away from the collared servants. Where it was just him and Judy. Like it used to be…

"You remembered to pack your gun and badge, right? I'm sure we'll need those," Judy said as she followed Nick out the door, Wolfard close behind her.

"Of course I remembered, how could I forget?" Nick asked before the door shut behind them. Leaving Julia alone in the living room to wait for Shenzi to be done in the bathroom.

XXX

 **And another chapter done. I don't have much to say, mostly because I think I did enough talking during the opening author's note. Anyways… hope you all enjoyed the chapter… especially that second section. It was… interesting to write. I almost didn't include it, but I decided that I've hacked enough off this story, so I decided to keep it, that way this chapter could be about as long as the last one. I'm trying to keep things consistent… and I know that the chapters have been getting shorter. Hopefully this marks a change in that trend. In any case, stay tuned until next time, where Nick and Judy head down to Pawaii to start their case! And I wonder if Shenzi and Janja will have a bit of fun themselves.**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 – Plagued by Blue:

Author's Note:

 **I'm pretty excited because this is the first time in a** ** _very_** **long time that I've posted two chapters in one day. Well… a chapter for this story, and a chapter for my other story. I had so much free time over the weekend that I was able to write both chapters to be released today! Of course, that probably means I won't be releasing** ** _anything_** **next week, but hey, take it or leave it.**

 **Thank you once again for reviewing Medic! I quite enjoyed your review, but I am going to say a few things about it. First, I hope you understand that Shenzi has no idea what she was doing, nor does she realize she was supposed to be embarrassed. Second, I didn't necessarily say that all Shenzi typed into her phone was 'sex.' She could've been looking specifically for hyenas, which is how she found Hatari's (I think I've mentioned her mother's name once or twice in this story already) sex tape. You bring up something that I've been meaning to talk about in this story though, and I'd have to do it soon. So… female hyenas have what's called a** ** _psuedopenis_** **… but not in this story. I've decided to keep things simple and remove the psuedopenis. 'What she assumed to be a male** ** _hyena_** **,' is the full line from the chapter, the important word is hyena. Julia wasn't sure what species was fucking her mother.**

 **I could go on and continue discussing your theories, but I'd rather tell you 'wait 'n see.' Now… here's something that might be a little confusing, so I'll explain it now. Because Nick and Judy are going to Pawaii, which is in a different time zone, so the times for this section is going to be a little strange. IE, Nick and Judy's sections are taking place on the same day as last chapter, but Julia's section is taking place the next day. Even though they're happening around the same time. And with all that out of the way… it's time to start the chapter. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

 _A sudden clap of thunder along with the plane shaking violently caused Judy to jolt upwards. She had been sleeping, knowing that it was a twelve-hour flight to Pawaii. But the jostling of the plane had made it difficult for her to doze off, and even after she had managed to fall asleep, she was unable to enter the deeper slumber she desired._

 _She blinked a few times, her eyes still hazy from sleep, before looking around. She spotted Nick still sleeping a few seats away. The thunder had not disturbed him in the slightest. She couldn't help but chuckle, he could sleep through a hurricane if he really wanted to._

 _She shook her head, still trying to clear her blurry vision. She wasn't sure what was wrong, but she stood up and squinted hard to better make out the fox a few seats away. They were on a private jet… a very nice private jet at that. Despite them being the only passengers, there were dozens of seats._

 _She stretched for a few seconds before carefully making her way towards Nick. Walking was extremely difficult, and she found herself grabbing a hold of the chairs to steady herself. The rocking of the plane and her still murky vision was making it difficult to progress towards the red fox._

 _Another clap of thunder startled the rabbit, making her let go of the chair she was using to keep her balance. The plane shook again, even harder this time as it was buffeted by fierce winds. The turbulence caused her to stumble and fall onto the floor of the plane, her paws barely shooting out in time to prevent her face from meeting the carpet._

 _Grabbing the nearest solid object, which happened to be the chair Nick was sitting on, she pulled herself to her feet. She shook her head vigorously, still trying to clear her vision. But everything was still blurry, and now her head was pounding too. She looked over at the fox and reached out to shake him awake, wanting company more than anything in this moment._

 _But the moment her paw touched his fur, she was forced to withdraw with a yelp! He had shocked her. In the moment the static electricity flowed from Nick's fur to Judy's paw, everything became clear. Her sight returned and her head stopped pounding, allowing her to regain her balance. She stared at the fox, wondering why his fur had become charged with electricity._

 _She soon wondered no more, however, as her ears began picking up louder and louder 'pitter-patters' on the hull of the plane. It was rain, she soon realized, pelting down harder and harder as their jet flew through a thunderstorm._

 _She took a step backwards and stumbled again, falling on her ass as she realized that the thunder from earlier wasn't from a faraway storm… is was from one surrounding the plane. She didn't have time to ponder why they were flying through a storm as she spotted a flash of lightening outside of Nick's window._

 _The flash was intense, as if the bolt had just missed the plane. She struggled to her feet once again, the harsh winds continuing to buffet the plane, causing intense turbulence. "Nick… hey, Nick!" she called out as she was rocked back and forth, before being thrown against his chair. She managed to catch herself again, but the fox didn't respond._

 _"_ _Nick?" she asked, to which the fox continued to slumber. Suddenly worried, she reached out again to touch him, only for her to get shocked once again. She snatched her paw back clenching it a few times. There was still so much energy in his fur, she couldn't touch him. She couldn't wake him. She would have to whether this storm alone._

 _Gritting her teeth, she decided to try and go back to sleep. Even if she knew it was unlikely, she had to try. She managed to stumble back to the other side of the isle, and pull herself onto the seat. The blurriness in her eyes began to return as she managed to find the seatbelt and strap herself in. Even though there was no 'fasten your seatbelt' warning, she felt it was the only way to stay in her chair with the turbulence._

 _Her eyes widened before she could even begin to force her eyes close. A bright flash appeared out of the corner of her eye… but not the corner that pointed at the window. No, the flash seemed to appear in the aisle between herself and Nick. She managed to turn her head before the whole world seemed to stop turning._

 _She saw a brilliant blue bolt of lightning coursing through the center of the plane, between herself and Nick. Judy couldn't help the smile that sprung onto her face as she watched the beauty of the lightning. She watched the bolt pass through the plane in slow-motion, branches of electricity began springing up off the main trunk like a tree, hitting randomly throughout the cabin._

 _Judy watched one of the branches arc towards her. She reached out slowly, inviting the pulsing bolt to touch her. The moment the branch touched her, she couldn't help but giggle, the electricity coursing through her almost tickled. She could feel it course through her entire body, from her paw it made its way up to the tips of her ears, before down to her toes. Then it exited her body just like that, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake._

 _Just like that, the bolt was gone. Judy could still feel the world turning slowly, as if time was yearning to return to normal, but it hadn't quite gotten there yet. Judy sucked in a deep breath for the first time since the lightning hit the plane. And then the clap of thunder hit, the loud boom coinciding with the lights in the cabin turning off. Judy's mouth opened as time returned to normal speed, letting out an unearthly shriek of pain as she did. Everything went black… and everything hurt._

 ** _Judy!_**

The rabbit's eyes snapped open as she bolted out of her seat. "I'm up!" she screeched. She looked over at Nick to see him giving her a concerned look. _It was only a dream,_ she sighed in realization, calming down a bit after the unexpected wakeup.

"I was shaking you and calling your name for ten minutes," Nick chuckled, relaxing as well. "You were pretty dead to the world."

"Well, there wasn't much else to do, and I was tired," she sighed, rubbing one of her eyes. "So I took a nap. Sue me."

"Careful, Carrots," Nick grinned, extending a paw to help her out of the seat. "I just might take you up on that offer."

"Very funny," she smirked, allowing herself to be pulled out of the large seat and onto the floor of the plane. Only then did her ears swivel to pick up the slight pitter-patter of rain on the hull of the jet. She paused in her step, listening carefully for thunder, unknowingly flinching when she thought she saw a flash of light.

"Judy?" the fox asked, giving her an odd look. She had suddenly stopped moving and looked frightened.

"Nothing… I just didn't know it was raining," she muttered, shaking her head rapidly to clear her mind of the dream she had awoken from.

"Well, it started raining just as we landed. Thank god too, I wouldn't want to be in one of these things in the air in a thunderstorm," Nick chuckled. "But it does feel like a bad omen."

"How so?" she asked as she once again followed him towards the exit of the plane.

"Well, not to be superstitious, Fluff, but arriving in a new place just as a thunderstorm isn't a good sign," he responded, grabbing their suitcase on the way out. "But it's not important. You read over the file, right?"

"Of course," Judy nodded as the duo headed down the steps leading off the plane. There on the tarmac was a lioness in a police uniform, clearly waiting for the two of them. She was being rained on, as she did not carry an umbrella, but it didn't seem to bother her one bit.

"Good… because I don't think we're going to get much time to get settled in before being thrust into the case," Nick muttered as they stopped in front of the lioness.

"Well it is urgent, officer Wilde," the lioness replied before Judy could get another word in. She seemed to hesitate, but eventually knelt down so she could shake the smaller mammals' paws.

"Technically it's lieutenant, ma'am, but I don't like formalities. Just Nick will do," the fox explained, grasping the lioness' paw and giving it a good shake.

"Neither do I, so just Judy for me," the rabbit replied, shaking the lioness' paw as well when it was offered to her.

The lioness stood up straight once again immediately afterwards. "I'm police chief Nyeupe… but it's a bit of a mouthful, so just Jino will do," she gave them a small smile.

"That doesn't sound Pawaiian," Judy cocked her head.

"It isn't… I wasn't born here," the police chief chuckled. "But that's not important. What is important is that we have a new body. We discovered it about an hour before you landed."

"So you're sending us straight there, I assume," Nick sighed, cracking his neck. He was a bit jetlagged, and he felt like sleeping the day away. But if duty called…

"Indeed," Jino nodded. "I'll take your luggage and go ahead and send it to your hotel while you two look at the body. Hopefully you make more progress than any of us have these past few weeks."

"Let's get moving then," Judy gave Jino a small smile, thankful that she had gotten that nap on the plane, even if the nightmare still plagued her mind. The two smaller mammals followed the lioness to her car, before taking off towards the crime scene.

The drive was thankfully short. The location of the homicide was only a few miles away from the airport. Jino pulled up to a restaurant that catered to both predator and prey mammals called _The Alliance_. Nick and Judy hopped out of the car along with the chief and headed towards the restaurant, ducking under the yellow tape the PPD had set up around the surrounding area.

The moment they entered the building, Judy's lip curled as the scent of burnt flesh hit her nostrils. Her ears flattened behind her head as she glanced up at Nick to see his eye twitching rapidly. But the duo forged onwards into the building with the lioness falling behind them to explain to her officers what was going on.

Nick and Judy made it to the door to the kitchen where the scent was coming from. They paused, glancing at each other for just a moment, before pushing the door open, releasing another blast of the foul odor into the air.

Seeing Judy cringe at the sight of the body, Nick attempted to lighten the mood. "Boy, I sure hope they don't plan on serving fried feline now," he tried to crack a smile as he gestured towards the still smoking cheetah.

"Nick," the rabbit grumbled as she approached the body.

"Sorry," the fox shrugged, following behind her. "Well… it looks like we have a middle-aged male cheetah, cause of death is clearly electrocution, time of death was fairly recent judging by the fur still smoking, and that collar around his neck marks him as a criminal."

"Most likely," Judy nodded in agreement. "But… he's dressed fairly well for a lowly servant."

"Well he is contracted in a fairly popular establishment, judging by how nice the tables looked and how clean the kitchen is," Nick replied.

"Still, and although I'm not an expert on suits, that one looks particularly nice," she responded. "Do we have any idea who this is?"

"Jino didn't say," he shrugged.

"Or she didn't check," she replied.

"Are you saying they're incompetent, Fluff?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm saying it's a possibility," she sighed. "You have to admit that it's a bit odd that they called in officers from Zootopia to help them solve a case."

"Well, it's clearly a tough case, not to mention that the killer originated in Zootopia," he shot back.

"Perhaps. I'm still not sure if this is the same guy. And besides, wouldn't they have preferred officers who had dealt with the case before? We've only read over the case files, we weren't there when it happened," she said. "All I'm saying is that there's a lot of things off."

"Like what?"

"Well, for one thing, you mentioned cleanliness. And you're right, this place is immaculate, almost like they didn't actually bother searching for evidence. Where are the other employees, what about witnesses?" she asked. "It's nine o'clock and the murder supposedly happened at eight, there's no way this place was this empty."

"Alright, Carrots, you've made your point," he chuckled. "Why don't we just ask Jino?"

"That's the thing, if she does know the answers to these questions that means she was either purposefully withholding them from us, or she's incompetent and forgot to give us the whole picture," she replied. "I'm not saying this is a hard case, but it would be a lot easier if we knew these things."

"You already sound like you think the PPD is working against us," he said.

"Again, I'm not ruling it out as a possibility. We don't have _any_ suspects, so I don't want to throw anything out without thorough evidence," she sighed. "But I think once we get all the pieces to this particular murder, then we should start being able to rule out mammals."

"Do you think Jino did it?" Nick smirked slightly, teasing the bunny slightly.

"Maybe. She was the one who sent Bogo a message asking for the case, but we don't necessarily know if she wanted us here," Judy said. "After all, Bogo said the governor called Lionheart. Not the police chief."

"Well… I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on her, then," he sighed. "Earlier you said that you weren't convinced that this was the same executioner from Zootopia, any reason why?"

"Well… remember back to the case file from Zootopia, do you see anything missing from this victim?" she asked.

Nick looked back over at the body, eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the corpse. "The ring of ash," he muttered when he realized the only thing missing. "Each of the Zootopia's executioner's kills had a ring of ash around the body, as if he had been smoking and circling the body while he waited for them to die."

"Precisely," Judy nodded. "The ring is missing here."

"Well, if we go off your idea of incompetence, then there's the possibility the ring was erased by accident," he suggested.

"I know… that's why we need to look at the pictures of the scene. If they followed standard protocol, pictures were taken before anyone else could enter the crime scene. And we should look at the pictures of the other scenes, just to see if this is a pattern," she said.

"You're certainly on the ball today, Fluff," he smirked.

"You know I don't like leaving cases unfinished," she replied. "I figure the quicker we wrap this case up, the faster we can get back to Zootopia, and maybe even pick up right where we left off before anyone else finds any leads."

"That's certainly ambitious, Carrots… looks like I'll have to start pulling my own weight," he chuckled. "Let's go see if Jino knows anything else and forgot to tell us."

"Right," she nodded, following him back into the main room of the restaurant. Jino was waiting for them, sitting at one of the tables patiently. The fox and bunny pulled themselves up onto one of the chairs so they were nearly on eye level with the lioness.

"Well?" Jino asked, clearly looking anxious. "What did you find?"

"Not much, unfortunately. But we were hoping there was a few things you could clear up for us before we head to our hotel room," Nick said.

"Of course, anything," the lioness nodded.

"Did you identify the body?" Judy asked, crossing her arms.

"Er… no," Jino shook her head.

"What? Why not?!" Nick demanded.

"He's just a collared criminal… we didn't think it mattered," the lioness admitted. "And besides, we thought the MO of the executioner was just… collared criminals…"

"So… not only did you _not_ entertain the idea that this wasn't the same executioner, but the families of the victims don't even know?" Nick growled.

"They're just collared criminals," Jino shrugged. "What do you mean this executioner isn't the same?"

"We aren't a hundred percent positive that the Zootopia executioner and this executioner is the same one," Judy replied. "Tell us, was there a ring of ash around any of the victims' bodies?"

"I have no idea, off the top of my head," the lioness said. "But I'm pretty sure that this body didn't have a ring around it."

"We're going to need pictures of all the crime scenes, as well as access to the PPD databanks," Nick said. "And we're going to need you to identify the bodies."

"Yes, of course," the chief nodded, before turning to one of her officers and relaying the fox's orders. "Is there anything else?"

"How about witnesses? Any of those?" Judy asked.

"Nope, none. The restaurant closed early today, we aren't entirely sure why," Jino replied. "But the only one here was the collared criminal you saw dead on the ground."

"Well, find out why the restaurant closed," Nick sighed. "I think we've done everything we can for tonight, and we're exhausted. What hotel are we staying at?"

"Ah, the _Golden Paw_ , a five-star hotel that we hope you'll like," Jino smiled at the two of them.

"I'm sure we will," Judy returned the smile, before sliding out of the seat, though Nick remained put. "You said our luggage would already be in our room, right?"

"It should be, I sent one of my officers to deliver it a few minutes ago. It should be there before you get there," Jino explained. "Oh! And before I forget, here." Nick and Judy watched as the lioness set a key onto the table as well as two cards. "We got you a rental car, as the hotel is a ways away from the precinct, and we weren't sure if you two would want to do some sight-seeing between shifts. And the cards are for your room."

"Thank you very much," Nick replied, taking the cards and key off the table, and slipping them into his pocket. He would give one of the cards to Judy later. "If that's all, we'll be off."

"Don't forget to have what we asked for by tomorrow so we can pick up right where we left off," Judy reminded the lioness, as Nick climbed off the chair, and followed Judy towards the door.

XXX

Last night had been uneventful for Gray Wolfard. It was a good thing, thankfully, but still, watching over the two hyenas was a bit odd. Julia didn't ever once get up off the couch, caught up in drumming her fingers on her arms to pass the time. Shenzi had been more active, but only barely so. Shenzi had helped him cook dinner for the trio, mostly helping him locate where everything was in the kitchen.

Although neither hyena caused any problems, he was still uncomfortable. For two unfortunate reasons. It had dawned on him only an hour after Nick and Judy left that the apartment was _very_ small for someone of his size. He had no idea how his cousin, and even bigger wolf, would even be able to stand in this cramped little space. The stools at the counter were too small, he was taller than the refrigerator and even most of the cabinets, forcing him to duck to reach anything in the kitchen, and the bed was just a little bit too small for him. Even the rather large couch had trouble seating himself and the hyenas, forcing them to turn it into a bed so they all had more room.

The second reason even being near the apartment was uncomfortable was because of Shenzi. Now, he really liked Shenzi. She had a glowing personality, and her smile was infectious. She was lovely, and had a cute laugh. He couldn't name all the things he liked about her. The problem was the scent she was giving off.

He was finding it extremely difficult not to jump her every time he got a fresh whiff of her. He didn't even know that hyena scents would have this sort of effect on him. He supposed that lust was a universal scent.

Julia didn't seem to notice that her sister was blasting 'come get me.' Either that, or she was very good at hiding that she knew. Wolfard couldn't quite tell if the harsh looks Julia was giving him was because she was unhappy with him being here, or that she didn't want him to pin her sister to the ground and start fucking her.

But Wolfard endured. They spent the night watching movies, just trying to pass the time until they felt like falling asleep. Wolfard fell asleep on the too-small bed, struggling to ignore the female hyena's scent even in his sleep.

The next morning was thankfully much better. Although the bed was small, it was comfortable. He had gotten a good night's sleep and woken up in a better mood. He padded outside of Nick and Judy's room to see Shenzi in the kitchen flipping pancakes. She was a little sloppy, as he quickly found out as he approached the countertop to see pancake batter everywhere.

But she was giving him a happy smile as she continued to stack pancakes high on a single plate. "Look what I made, Nice Wolf!" she grinned, pushing the plate towards him, along with some butter and syrup.

"Thank you, Shenzi," Gray said, giving her a wide smile. He scented the air and, being very careful to distinguish between the smell of the pancakes and her own natural scent, was unable to detect the smell of lust on her. _It must've faded,_ he sighed happily as he put several of the fluffy cakes onto his plate and coated them in butter and syrup.

"You're welcome!" she grinned, flipping one last pancake into the air before shutting off the stove. "Ju-li-a is in the shower… she said something about going with you to pick up the Mean Wolf today."

"Ah… right, I have to go and do that," he muttered, digging into his breakfast. "Mmm, if she wants to come with me, that's fine. What about you?"

"I… I think I'd rather stay here," Shenzi admitted, glancing around carefully. "I don't like Mean Wolf much."

"Well, I hear that," Gray chuckled. "Now, I'm supposed to be watching over you… you aren't going to leave the apartment, right?"

"No! Of course not," she shook her head.

"Good," he smiled back at her, before focusing on his pancakes. He trusted her to be here alone. In fact, he trusted all the mammals here to do as he said. Although he knew Julia would complain, she would likely do as he asked. He could even say the same for Wolfgang, though he knew it was only because the white wolf would be acting in rational self-preservation. He doubted his cousin wanted to be shocked again.

As he finished his breakfast, he heard the shower turn off, and the bathroom door open. Julia made her way into the living room and spotted Gray balancing awkwardly on one of the small stools. "Hey," Julia greeted as she made her way over to the counter.

"Good morning," the timber wolf replied, swallowing the last of his pancakes. "Shenzi made breakfast."

"I know, I already ate," Julia admitted as she watched Wolfard get off the stool and stretch, before heading into the kitchen to fix himself a glass of orange juice. Shenzi pranced over to the seat the timber wolf had just occupied, taking it herself so she could eat her own breakfast.

"Ah," Gray nodded, before gulping down the glass of orange juice he had just fixed himself. "I heard that you wanted to go with me to pick up Wolfgang."

"I do," Julia nodded, watching Shenzi slather her pancakes with syrup, making an even bigger mess as she did.

"Well, if you give me a paw and help me clean up the kitchen, then we can be out of here in a jiffy," he grinned, finding a few rags, and getting them nice and wet.

"What? But Shenzi made the mess, _she_ should clean it up!" Julia protested, crossing her arms.

The timber wolf snorted. The golden-eyed hyena sounded like a child. "Well that's just too bad, isn't it," he smirked. "She's busy eating, and it'll be faster with your help."

"Oh fine," Julia grumbled, padding around to the other side of the counter, and taking one of the damn rags. They began wiping down every surface, whether or not it was coated with batter. Gray figured that Nick and Judy would enjoy coming back to an apartment even cleaner than the one they left.

They cleaned the entire kitchen, with Julia's help it had only taken fifteen minutes. It was just enough time for Shenzi to finish with breakfast so Julia could wipe down the syrupy mess her older sister left behind. Finally, they tossed the rags into the hamper and headed for the door. Shenzi had taken to cleaning off their dirty dishes, wanting to clean the syrup off before it began to harden.

"By the way, Shenzi, you should probably do a load of laundry while we're gone," Julia said as Gray opened the door.

Shenzi glanced back at them. "But Nice Wolf said not to leave the apartment," she replied.

"Oh… well…" Julia trailed off.

"Don't worry, Shenzi, Julia will do the laundry when she gets back," Gray smirked down at the hyena by his side.

"Okay!" Shenzi giggled in excitement as she turned back to the dishes.

"Wha? Hey!" Julia growled, glaring at the timber wolf. He continued to smirk as they left the apartment, shutting the door behind them. "What was that for?"

"It's not nice to throw all your chores onto your older sister," Gray chuckled. "I know Nick and Judy basically let you live with them for free, without fear of being shocked, so the least you could do is pull your own weight."

"Oh… whatever," Julia grumbled, crossing her arms as she followed him to his car. At least he would only be here for a week, and then she could go back to goofing off and doing no work once he was gone.

Shenzi continued to work as they left the apartment complex. She hummed to herself happily as she scrubbed each of the dirty dishes clean, and placed them in the dishwasher. As she left the kitchen, she felt her phone buzz.

Raising an eyebrow, she pulled it out of a pocket on her skirt. A wide grin spread across her face as she saw that Nice Hyena had texted her. She opened up her phone and texted him back as quickly as she could. Of course she wanted to have dinner with him!

XXX

 **Right, so… hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter. I'd like to talk specifically about the dream sequence in this chapter. I'll admit to liking dreams as character developing tools. I think (excluding** ** _The Den of Fangs_** **, which will have a dream sequence soon enough) I've had a dream sequence in all my chapter stories. But this is my first dream sequence… well, second, sort of (but I won't go into that particular one), that's not about character development. I'm not going to explain what it's about, because I'd like you all to figure it out yourself. What does Judy's dream mean? Does it mean anything? Because it could mean nothing!**

 **Anyways, with that said, I hope to get some interesting theories in the reviews. Stay tuned until next time to find out what happens next!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 – Our Scars Don't Define Us:

Author's Note:

 **So… first I would like to thank everyone for being patient. I've been busy with school and exam after exam after exam that demanded my attention. And, although I** ** _still_** **have exams to study for, I managed to find a few hours to type this out. And it's a longer chapter, hopefully to make up for not just the shorter chapters that I've been releasing these last few weeks, but also my extended absence.**

 **I got quite a few interesting guest reviews, and even a PM last chapter! I'd love to respond to everything (and explain to you all what the PM was about), but I don't want to overstay my welcome. Like I said, it's a longer chapter. So I'll be brief and start with…**

 **A guest reviewer named Relationship, thank you for reviewing! So, first off… yes, you're absolutely right, though I'd prefer the phrase 'putting aside Nick and Judy's relationship' rather than flat out avoiding it. Because I am going to come back to it. These last few chapters I've been mostly focusing on plot and trying to get the ball rolling… and Nick and Judy arguing about what they are, how Wolfy fits in, and where to go from there was just slowing everything down. So, instead, I decided to put their relationship aside (except for a few subtle details that'll be brought to the forefront soon) and focus on getting Nick and Judy alone here in Pawaii… that way they really have the space they need to work out their… relationship troubles.**

 **As for Medic, there's only really one thing I want to focus on. You mentioned a love triangle forming… and I have to ask you to clarify who you think it's between. Because I realize, as I read over the chapter again, that it could be argued that I was implying there was a love triangle forming between Shenzi, Janja, and Wolfard. Which I would like to assure you, there isn't. Wolfard has a mate… if you remember back to the first arc, and she'll be showing up soon enough. If you're talking about the triangle between Judy, Nick, and Wolfgang, then, while I wouldn't call it a… 'conventional love triangle,' it's the only thing I can think of to describe that particular mess.**

 **And finally, to a guest reviewer just called guest, I actually went and watched the first episode of 'Return to Zootopia,' by Brown Table because you mentioned a character named Wolfgang. While I definitely saw a white mammal and I think Judy called it Wolfgang, it did not look like a wolf. At least to me. So it's probably just a coincidence instead of an intentional reference.**

 **With all that being said, let's finally get down to business. And, before I forget…** ** _there is mature content in this chapter, viewer discretion is advised_** **. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Most mammals found it difficult to fall asleep in a hotel room. The unfamiliar bed and the new, far too clean environment typically meant many hours tossing and turning. Normally, Nick would agree with this sentiment, even with Judy curled up against his chest, any other night he would've found it difficult to sleep. But not last night.

No, last night the only feeling Nick had was relief. Relief that he was away from that white wolf that Judy had insisted sleep in their apartment. It took every ounce of his self-control not to electrocute the white wolf every time he caught a whiff of him. He had done his absolute best not to complain when Judy took the wolf under contract. He didn't want to upset her.

In truth, he was worried about his gray, little bunny. Whatever sort of trauma she had experienced in Wolfgang's hellhole of a mansion, he didn't know. But he did know that it was odd that the moment Judy had been rescued, she had thrown herself back into her work as if nothing was wrong. Despite her insistence, Nick could tell something was _indeed_ wrong.

She had only been kidnapped for under a week, but that had been long enough to nearly drive him absolutely mad with worry. Who could say whether or not her time as that white bastard's prisoner had warped her mind? It would certainly explain some of her more, at least in his opinion, questionable decisions. He had to bite his tongue every time he considered the idea of Stockholm's Syndrome. In fact, it was becoming difficult to even think of her as _his_ bunny.

But hopefully they could put all that behind him. Although this certainly wasn't a vacation, Nick hoped that Judy didn't plan on working the entire time they were in Pawaii. He hoped to get a better feeling for what was possibly ailing his bunny, and this would likely be their only chance to do this when Wolfgang couldn't interfere. Once he knew what was wrong with her, he would be able to help her. And then they'd be able to go back to the way things were… even if they had three collared servants, one of which happened to be the white bastard himself, and a baby that wasn't his on the way.

Nick let out a loud yawn as his eyes slowly blinked open. Groaning, he pulled his arms closer to his chest, only to discover that there wasn't a gray, little bunny clutched in his arms, like how they had fallen asleep. Sitting up and rubbing the bleariness from his eyes, he glanced around the apartment in an attempt to find Judy.

He found her quickly enough, sitting behind the only desk in the room, papers strewn across the table's surface. She was dressed in her uniform, clearly ready for the day. She either didn't notice him getting up, or didn't react, as not even her ears swiveled as he rolled out of the bed.

"How's my beautiful bunny doing this morning?" he asked as he padded closer to her. He decided to be playful, hoping that she wouldn't be unhappy that he was interrupting whatever she was doing.

"Morning, Nick," she greeted, though only her ears turned to face him.

"You're up early, I see… did you not sleep well?" he asked, letting concern drip into his tone.

"It's nine o'clock, Nick, you slept in," she chuckled, a good sign. "I slept fine."

"Nine? I'm sorry I slept through the… wait, we didn't set an alarm," he remembered, scratching the back of his head. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I'm surprised me getting up didn't wake you up in of itself," she replied, finally turning to face him with a small grin on her face. "And besides, there was no way I could disturb something so… cute."

"I think that's my line, Carrots," Nick snickered. "Oh well… nine isn't even that late. Maybe I'll go back to sleep… give you something to look at again."

Judy couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Not a chance, Slick, you're awake now, so it's best that you get showered and dressed for the day," she said.

"That's no way to talk to your lieutenant, Hopps," he smirked, crossing his arms.

"Fine then, I just won't tell you what I'm working on," she stuck out her tongue and turned back around. "Officer Hopps only talks to clean foxes."

"Yes ma'am…" the fox pretended to be defeated as he walked over to their shared suitcase, procuring a fresh uniform for himself. Her acceptance of his banter was encouraging. _There's nothing wrong with her… maybe I'm just being paranoid,_ he chuckled to himself as he headed towards the shower.

Seeing that there were already towels laid out for him, he stripped out of his sleepwear and stepped into the shower. He washed quickly and thoroughly, not wanting to keep Judy waiting any longer than she had to. Once he was clean and the soap had been washed from his fur, he stepped out of the shower and dried off, before dressing in his uniform.

He shined the badge that was displayed proudly on his chest, before exiting the shower, his fur still slightly damp. "One clean fox, as you requested," Nick grinned as he came to a stop next to her.

"Eh, clean enough, I suppose," Judy snickered as she turned to face him. "Jino came through for us, and sent us everything she had on the case. Plus a few of the things we asked for."

"Oh? I didn't realize that she'd be sending it up to us," Nick said as he leaned down over the desk, so he could see everything better. "What did she send us?"

"Pictures," the rabbit replied, gesturing to the dozen or so case files scattered across the desk. "And what little they have on each of the murders. Nick, there's _thirteen_ of them."

"Plus the one last night?" the fox asked as he picked up one of the files and looked inside. There was a picture of a still smoking corpse, as well as the little bit of information they had gathered about the case. Though there wasn't a name above the body, meaning they still haven't identified the corpses.

"Yeah, plus the one last night," Judy nodded as she picked up a different file and flipped through it. "Although they still haven't identified the bodies, Jino gave us a temporary password we can use to access the PPD databanks. We'll be able to identify the bodies on our own time."

"I suppose so, Fluff," Nick chuckled. "So… do we have any reason to go down to the precinct today?"

"Not really… unless we find something major," she replied. "Or if there's another murder."

"Well, let's cross our fingers, then," he said, putting the file down and picking up the next one. "What else did she send us?"

"Uh… there's a letter, here…" Judy said, sifting through the papers, and pulling out a single sheet with someone's messy scrawl on it. "I think I managed to decipher it… it looks like the reason the restaurant was closed last night was because the manager randomly told everyone to go home."

"Wow… is this Jino's handwriting?" Nick asked, squinting at the page as he tried to read what was written on it.

"Yeah, it is," the rabbit replied, before going back to moving papers and files around, trying to find something else.

"Well… that's suspicious," the fox muttered as he set the letter aside.

"That she has messy handwriting?" Judy smirked.

"No," Nick chuckled. "Though it will make written communication difficult. But I'm talking about the reason the manager closed the restaurant."

"Yes, I thought so too. I figure he'd be the first mammal we look into," the bunny replied, before finding what she was looking for. "Jino also sent us a composite list of everyone who worked at the restaurant."

"Hmm… more mammals to interview, I suppose," he sighed. "So I guess we start with the manager, then work our way down the chain?"

"I was thinking we could stay here and identify the bodies first," she replied, picking up another file and opening it.

"While I definitely agree that we should definitely do that, Fluff, I think we should focus on just the murder last night," he said, scratching his chin. "It'll be easier to focus on one murder at a time, since we're certain they're all connected, and this one is the freshest. We should go and interview the manager now before his reasonings for his behavior last night fades."

Judy seemed to think for a moment, before letting out a soft sigh. "Yeah, you're right… I just wanted to identify the bodies and find family that we might be able to contact," she said, closing the file she was holding, and setting it on the desk.

"We'll come back to that after we've gotten our interviews, at least the manager will be able to identify the corpse from last night," Nick said, giving her a small smile. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

"Well, after looking at all the pictures, I'm ninety percent sure that our killer is different from the one that was active in Zootopia," she shrugged. "There were no rings around any of the bodies in the pictures. Again, there's still a possibility that someone could've wiped them away before snapping the photo, but…"

"You're still confident that the killer is different," he finished. "I agree, Fluff. The next body that the PPD find, we'll make sure that no one touches or goes near it until we get there. Then we should be able to know about the ring for sure."

"Good idea," Judy agreed, slipping off the chair, and stretching. She had clearly been sitting there, working for a few hours. "I'll call Jino in the car, tell her what we're thinking, and see if she wants to meet us at the manager's house."

"Sounds good, Fluff… did her list give us the manager's address?" Nick asked as he leaned back over the desk, searching for the list of restaurant employees. But, as he moved files and papers around, he spotted something that didn't look like part of the case. "Huh… what's this?" he muttered. Cocking his head, he pulled the red flyer off the desk and looked over at it.

"Yeah, it did… West thirty-first street, I think," Judy answered his question, completely missing his discovery on the desk.

 _Oh, this is too perfect,_ Nick chuckled internally as he read the flyer over. Jino must've sent it with the case files in case he and Judy wanted to spend a little time away from the case. The Pawaiin Festival of Love… interspecies couples encouraged. "Hey Carrots, what's this?" he asked, turning around to reveal the flyer in his paw.

The bunny's eyes widened as they landed on the red slip on paper in the fox's paw. Her nose crinkled as she remembered what the flyer was about. "That? That's probably just some joke one of the PPD officers decided to pull on us, slipping it into the package Jino sent us."

"I think it's something Jino sent us so that we'd know we didn't have to spend all our time here working on the case," Nick chuckled, glancing back at the flyer. "I don't know… it sounds fun."

"Nick… we're not here for fun, we're here to solve a case!" Judy protested, crossing her arms.

"I'm not suggesting we blow the case off, I'm just saying this might be a fun way to spend our downtime," the fox replied smoothly. "Look, it starts tomorrow night, probably around the time that we'd be done for the night."

"Downtime? Nick, we don't have downtime! We have to spend every moment we're not asleep trying to catch this criminal!" the rabbit argued. "We only have a week, after all…"

"Exactly, a week," he smirked. "Which is more than enough time. We've already made more progress in one day than the entire PPD did in a week."

"Still, the more time we spend on the case, the faster we catch him," she huffed. "And the faster we can go back home."

His ear flicked when he heard her say that. "Do you not like it here?" he asked, cocking his head. Suddenly, his worrying from earlier in the morning returned.

"It's not that, it's just…" she trailed off, her ears falling behind her back.

"Just what?" he asked.

"I'm worried about Wolfgang…" she admitted. "And I thought you would be too… considering that neither of us are there to keep an eye on him."

"I trust Wolfard, Judy… and he has both remotes," Nick said, crossing his arms. "Wolfgang is in good paws. Come on, Fluff! This is likely the only time we'll be in Pawaii, we should _live_ a little!"

Judy frowned. Even though she knew Nick was right… she couldn't help that little part of her that was still worried about Wolfgang. "Even then, Nick, we should still finish the case as quickly as possible… I don't want the murderer murdering anyone else, and I definitely know Bogo won't enjoy an… extended absence," she sighed.

"Oh, screw that old buffalo-butt!" Nick exclaimed.

"Nick…"

"Fine, I see your point. How about a little deal, then?" he grinned, glancing at the flyer again.

"What kind of deal?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Well, like it or not, spending every waking moment working isn't good for either of us… and I'm sure you agree that we should at least have a _little_ fun. So how about this… we spend at least an hour at the festival every day that we're here," he smirked. "Only an hour, maybe when we first wake up, or right before we go to bed, so we have a little time to unwind before or after our day."

"That sounds… reasonable…" Judy muttered, unable to see any fault in his reasoning.

"Perfect!" Nick grinned. "The festival opens tomorrow with a banquet and a moonlight dance, we can start with that event."

"And what would happen, say, if we managed to catch the murderer tonight?" Judy asked, smirking as Nick set the flyer back on the desk, before leading the way towards the door. They still had interviews to conduct today, after all.

"Then you win… no fun for us," the fox sighed, rolling his eyes.

XXX

 _Are you ready?_

 _Of course._

 _Are you sure?_

 _Yes, damn it!_

 _Then go get 'em!_

Wolfgang's ear flicked when he heard the faint sound of bickering. He attempted to sit up and open his eyes, but the bright light reflecting off the white of the room caused his eyes to snap shut again and a deep groan emanate from his chest. His head began pounding, protesting his intention to sit up, forcing him to lie back down and clench his eyes shut as he waited for the pain to fade.

The moment the pounding vanished, awareness crashed back into him. He could hear the incessant beeping of some machine next to him, he could feel something odd sticking out of his arm, and it even felt like there was something in his urethra when he had tried to sit up. But, besides his head and neck, both of which ached, the rest of his body was fairly comfortable. As if he was lying on a soft bed, propped up ever so slightly.

 _I'm in a hospital,_ Wolfgang realized as the events of the previous day came crashing back into him. He had been electrocuted by Nick… though he couldn't quite remember why. And it had been quite a shock too, if he remembered correctly. He must've been knocked unconscious… at least they had the decency to take him to a hospital… they could've left him lying on the cold warehouse floor. But one question still reigned supreme in his mind, _How long have I been out?_

But his internal musings were cut short as he heard the door open and close. He strained his ears, but couldn't hear the mammal's footfalls. Confused, Wolfgang cracked an eye, before immediately shutting it again when he recognized the mammal that had entered his hospital room. It was a snow leopard in a nurse's uniform… and one that he recognized. It was his sister-in-law, his brother's wife, Snow.

 _What the hell is she doing here?_ Wolfgang growled internally as he did his best to even out his breathing. He wracked his mind as he tried to remember if Snow was a nurse before marrying his brother… but he was fairly certain she wasn't. So then what was she doing here?

The snow leopard licked her lips slowly as she swore she saw him crack open an eye. _Ooh, why did I agree to do this?!_ she screamed internally as she checked the heartbeat monitor next to his bed. Unable to find anything that looked like an off switch, she bent down and pulled the plug, killing the machine, and silencing its inane beeping.

Swallowing softly, she stood up carefully, keeping her eyes glued on Wolfgang's form. She made her way to the other side of the bed slowly, never taking her eyes off of him. Biting her lip, she looked at the IV connected to his arm. Looking at the deceptively simple apparatus, she searched for the knob that would stop the IV from sending anything else into Wolfgang's bloodstream.

Sucking in a deep breath, before letting it out slowly, she reached underneath the blankets and wrapped her paw around his arm, ready to bring it to the surface. That was the breaking point for the white wolf, as he was unable to stay still as she touched her. "May I help you?" he growled, eyes snapping open despite the brightness of the room.

She practically threw herself across the room as she flinched away from him with a loud 'eep!' He glared at her as she recovered from her fright, straightening her back and squaring her shoulders, as if she was trying to look intimidating. That's when he noticed something odd… her uniform. It didn't quite look right. The skirt was too short and the top was showing far too much cleavage…

"Er… no, uh… you can't," Snow shook her head rapidly.

His eyes narrowed immediately. "Oh? It seemed as if you wanted my arm," he said, moving his arm out from under the covers so that it rested on top of them instead. He spotted the IV attached to his arm and realized that was what had felt so weird.

"Yeah, uh… I did…" Snow muttered, stepping forward again. She carefully gripped his arm, before pulling the needle out of his flesh. He didn't even flinch as he was freed from the IV.

"You aren't a nurse, are you?" he asked, still glaring at her. She froze as she went to unhook the IV from where it was hanging. She turned around slowly with a nervous smile.

 _Damn it,_ she muttered internally as she wracked her mind in an attempt to come up with some reason she was here. He was right, she wasn't a nurse before she had been married to his brother. She had been a prostitute. The particular outfit she was wearing now was once a part of her repertoire, for her 'patients' that liked a little bit of roleplaying. "Uh…" she trailed off, still unable to find an adequate excuse.

"Why are you here?" he growled, his suspicions practically confirmed. Once again, he tried to get up, but his pounding head forced him to stay laying down.

"Well, I, uh…" she trailed off once again, her fear of him clearly getting the better of her. It wasn't like she was nervous… no, she was usually quite forthcoming, but Wolfgang terrified her. And him killing her beloved certainly didn't help her fear of him.

He tensed as he saw her reaching into one of the pockets of her uniform, before pulling out a simple syringe. "You're here to kill me… aren't you?" he asked softly, recognizing the liquid in the syringe. It was a particular poison his brother liked to use. It was extremely difficult to detect and killed nearly instantly.

"I am," she nodded slowly, her voice soft. It wasn't her idea… no, far from it. If it were up to her, she would've stayed as far away from the white wolf as she possibly could! But when she was approached by two close friends of hers who also had vendettas against Wolfgang, she wanted to be the one to pull the trigger. Or rather, push the pump of the syringe down.

That day still haunted her dreams. She had hunkered down behind a tombstone the moment bullets began to fly. She only peeked out from behind her cover to make sure her husband was still okay. And he was, for at least a little while. But her heart dropped the moment he saw a round hit the side of his head, practically blowing his brains out.

The world seemed to stop turning as she watched his lifeless body fall to the ground. She had been just a lowly prostitute before she met him. And he, a very powerful crime lord, had found her beautiful. Her… beautiful. She had never been called that in all of her career as a whore… just sexy or foxy, or even slutty in some cases. But he had called her beautiful, and she fell in love with him.

And he reciprocated, even though he could've done so much better than a whore off the side of the road. He married her long before he knew about his father's stupid clause in his will. He may not have been the best or most caring man on the planet, but they loved each other, and that was all that mattered in her mind. And to have all that snatched away by a single bullet… made rage bubble up in her chest when she thought about it.

"You know why, right?" she growled, now completely livid at him.

He raised an eyebrow at her shift in demeanor, but didn't question it, or taunt her at all. "I believe so, yes," he nodded slowly. Snow and his brother's marriage may not have been the best or most stable, but they had clearly spent time trying to make it work. It was understandable that she was angry he killed her beloved.

"Good," Snow growled as she padded forward. She grabbed his arm once again, her grip much tighter than before as she handled the syringe with her other paw. She planned on inserting the needle where the IV had been. "Then at least you understand why you have to die."

"I wouldn't have time in an entire day to list the reasons I deserve to die," Wolfgang snorted. Though this did provide an interesting conundrum he was now confronted with. Before Judy had picked him up and put a collar on him, he had expressed the desire to die, to be sentenced to death by the court, or to have Judy put him out of her misery herself. Was that instinct still there?

"I don't care about your list of reasons… I only need one," Snow snarled, bringing the needle closer to his skin, but didn't quite insert it. She couldn't help hesitating… she was still afraid of him. He should've lashed out and did everything he could to survive, and the fact that he wasn't made her wary of a trap.

"Then do it," he growled, his amber eyes burning a hole in the side of her head. "I killed many mammals without mercy the same day I killed your beloved. I killed allies, guards, and my sister just as I did him. That day, I was wrath… but now I am too weak to even stand up. You are now wrath, and have the right to pass judgement on me, just as I did your husband."

 _Abort! Abort! Mission abort!_

Both mammals could hear someone shouting loudly just outside of the hospital room, but they both chose to ignore it. "Wrath, huh?" Snow muttered as she slipped the needle into Wolfgang's flesh. But she didn't push the plunger down.

"Indeed," Wolfgang hissed as he felt the needle enter his flesh, right where the IV had. "Some mammals have made too many mistakes in their life to warrant redemption. Often, the sinful deserve nothing more than death… and wrath is needed to pass judgement on them. For the longest time, that's what I had done… but now judgement is to be passed onto me."

 _Snow! Snow, get the fuck out of there!_

Snow's ear only flicked as she heard her name being called. "Then I judge you to be guilty," she snarled, her thumb putting just a little bit of pressure on the plunger of the syringe, almost ready to push it down and end Wolfgang's life. "And I sentence you to eternity in hell."

 _Snow-_

With a loud _bang_ , the door was thrown open and a timber wolf and a hyena rushed into the room, stopping the snow leopard before she could push the plunger down. "You!" Wolfard growled, pointing at Snow.

Snow let out another loud 'eep!' and backed away from Wolfgang before she could get any of the poison into him. Wolfard and Julia padded closer into the room, both of them glaring at Snow. Behind them, a lioness and a tigress stumbled into the room, both of them panting.

"We couldn't hold them back!" the lioness panted, clearly exhausted from trying to prevent Wolfard and Julia from entering the hospital room. "Why weren't you responding to our warnings?"

"I almost got him, damn it!" Snow shouted, clearly panicking as she backed up into a corner of the room, unable to find a way to escape the two mammals bearing down on her.

Wolfgang watched calmly as his cousin and Julia cornered the whimpering snow leopard. Letting out a sigh, he reached down between his legs and grabbed something that felt like a catheter. He pulled it free with a grunt, before pulling the syringe that was still in his arm. The temptation to push the plunger down wasn't even there, the desire that had screamed for death inside of him was gone.

He rolled out of the bed, ignoring the fact that he was only clothed in a hospital gown, and padded over to Snow. His head was still pounding, but he bit his tongue and forged forward. Nearly dying had blunted the pain, but he wasn't sure how long it would last.

"It's times like these that I wish I carried a gun and pawcuffs everywhere," Wolfard growled, not noticing his cousin approaching him.

"What are we going to do with her, and those two vermin out there?" Julia asked, smirking slightly at Snow. She had never liked the snow leopard, and now she had a good reason not to.

"Call the ZPD, I suppose," Wolfard growled. "There's nothing else we-" he started to say, but was cut off as Wolfgang gently pushed him aside. The timber wolf's eyes went wide as he watched his cousin push past him, lean down, and wrap his paw around Snow's neck.

"Oh shit…" Julia muttered, which Wolfard quickly echoed as Wolfgang exerted a surprising amount of strength for someone who had just been in a hospital bed. The white wolf hoisted Snow off the ground, pushing her against the wall as he picked her up enough that she was on eye level with him.

Her feet dangled off the ground, kicking at Wolfgang's stomach futilely. Her eyes widened as she spotted the syringe still clutched in one of the white wolf's paws. She burst into tears, bawling hard as she struggled and squirmed in his grasp even harder in an attempt to free herself. "I'm sorry!" she screamed, her wriggling making no progress against Wolfgang's iron grip.

"I know," Wolfgang said softly, his voice almost too hard for anyone to hear over her crying. "But wrath doesn't fear death. It's supposed to embrace it… even if it's the one being killed."

"Wolfgang," Wolfard growled, realizing what the white wolf intended to do. But Wolfgang ignored his cousin, raising the paw holding the syringe, and preparing to drive it into the snow leopard's neck.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Snow repeated over and over again, fresh tears falling out of her eyes as she realized that this was it.

"Wolfgang!" Wolfard repeated, stepping forward, and grabbing the white wolf's shoulder. But Wolfgang only shrugged him off, before bringing his paw down at a frightening speed, the needle aimed right for Snow's neck…

 _Wolfgang!_

The syringe slammed into the wall instead of Snow's neck, the point of the needle bending beyond repair or use. _Judy…_ Wolfgang muttered internally. He had heard her voice… she was so disappointed in him. He let go of the snow leopard and she collapsed onto the ground, curled up into a ball, and wept.

He took a step backwards, dropping the worthless syringe onto the ground. Luckily, it didn't shatter. What was he doing? What had he almost done? Judy… his precious, little bunny, didn't want him killing anyone. Even when he had gotten her to admit that sometimes killing was necessary, she still hated it.

Wolfard let out a sigh of relief, that had been close. He moved his thumb off the button of the remote and slipped it back into his pocket. He knew the shock wouldn't have stopped Wolfgang from killing the snow leopard, but he was glad he had seen the needle change trajectory before he pushed the button. He wouldn't want to have to cause Wolfgang to stay here another day.

Wolfgang turned around with a scowl on his face, heading towards the door. "Let's go," he growled, glaring down at the lioness and tigress as he passed them. Wolfard had half a mind to tell the white wolf that he was only wearing a hospital gown, but bit his tongue in the end. He and Julia turned around and followed Wolfgang out of the hospital. Wolfard sent a quick text to the ZPD, telling them to get down to the hospital and arrest the three women. He knew that there was no need to wait for the ZPD… the females were far too mortified to move, and Snow and particular was likely having a panic attack.

XXX

Janja padded up to the door of his house and turned the handle. It was unlocked. Burglars weren't something he ever really had to fear. Not with Scar in the house nearly twenty-four seven, nor with the ten-foot high walls that surrounded his estate. So he kept his door unlocked more of the time.

Shenzi followed behind him, significantly less skittish than the first time she had been to his home. "Welcome back," Janja grinned as he opened the door, letting the female in first. A scrumptious aroma wafted throughout the house, blasting the two hyenas' noses the moment they stepped into the house. Someone was cooking something delicious.

"Uh…" Shenzi blinked as she stepped into the house, glancing around her. A smile danced across her lips, slowly spreading over her muzzle. "Uh… Nice Hyena? What smells so good?" she asked, still smiling, as she took in the grandeur of his home.

"I had Scar make us something for an early dinner," Janja grinned. It was much too late to call it a lunch, but far too early to call it dinner. "And it does smell very good." He shut the door behind them, before leading her towards the kitchen.

"Really? What did he make, Nice Hyena?" Shenzi asked, glancing back over at him. She had a happy gleam in her eyes, one that she always had when she entered Janja's home… she just loved it there.

"I have no idea… let's go find out," the red-eyed hyena grinned at Shenzi's excited expression. He loved the radiant look in her eyes, and it made him jubilant to know that he was the cause of that happiness. He led her into the kitchen, where Scar was just taking what looked to be a turkey out of the oven.

"Look! Look, Nice Hyena, a turkey!" Shenzi exclaimed, her face lighting up even more as she saw Scar place the turkey on top of the stove. She clapped her paws together happily, letting a giggle escape her lips as she bounced up and down in place. Turkey was her absolute favorite… she had only had it once before at the Mean Wolf's house… but it was so delicious!

Scar flicked his ears and looked over at them, still wearing his oven mitts. He raised an eyebrow as he saw Shenzi's excitement, but for the most part, his bored, slightly aggravated expression didn't change. "Hello, Janja… and Shenzi," he sighed.

"Turkey is an excellent choice, Scar," Janja grinned at the female hyena's reaction. "How long should we wait for it to cool?"

"Oh… not long," the black-maned lion shrugged as he took off his oven mitts and stashed them in a drawer next to the oven. "Just a few minutes and I can cut it up for the two of you."

"And yourself," Janja smirked. "You'll be dining with us tonight… there's enough turkey to go around."

"Of course, sir," Scar nodded, leaning back against the counter as Shenzi smiled up at him. Janja nodded, mostly to himself, and busied himself with gathering plates, silverware, and glasses, before heading off towards the dining room.

"Is the turkey good, Black Lion?" Shenzi asked, still beaming up at the lion. Any fear she had of him the last time she had visited Janja's house was gone.

"Hmm? Oh yes, very good," Scar grunted, glancing down at her. Shenzi giggled again, bouncing up and down once more as she waited with the lion for the turkey to cool. Several minutes passed before Scar grabbed a carving knife and picked the tray up again.

Shenzi followed behind the black-maned lion as he headed into the dining room. The dining room was massive, easily twice as big as the huge living room, with a gigantic table stretching nearly end to end, just like in the Mean Wolf's house.

They made it into the dining room just in time to see Janja finish setting the table, humming a tune to himself. He had set the table a bit… oddly, if one thought about it. There were three places set up with plates, glasses, and silverware. Two set up on the right side of the head of the table, and one on the left. Apparently Janja didn't intend to sit at the head of his own dining room table.

"Go ahead and start carving the turkey, I'll go get us drinks," Janja said as Scar set the turkey down. The red-eyed hyena turned towards Shenzi and gestured her to take the second seat set up on the right. "Any preferences?" he asked her.

Scar grabbed the carving knife he had brought and began to slice up the turkey. Shenzi, with a little giggle, sat down at the spot Janja had gestured for her to. "Um… I want s-soda!" she requested, still smiling at him.

"Soda it is," Janja chuckled, heading back towards the kitchen. He came back a moment later with a two-liter of soda and a tray of ice. He poured each of them a glass, before giving them all two ice cubes, no more, no less.

"Thanks Nice Hyena!" Shenzi grinned, immediately dragging the glass closer to her. She picked it up carefully, using both of her paws, before taking a few sips.

"You're welcome," Janja chuckled again as he screwed the cap back onto the two-liter, before sitting down next to her. Scar finished carving the turkey a moment later, before passing out strips to all three of them, starting with Shenzi, then Janja, and lastly himself.

"Mmm… this turkey smells really good!" Shenzi exclaimed, looking down at the pieces Scar gave her. "T-thanks Black Lion!"

Scar only gave her a curt nod before digging into his food. Janja sent a small smile towards Shenzi before he began to eat as well. Seeing that she was being left behind, Shenzi furiously gobbled up the food on her plate.

The three mammals ate for a few minutes, filling their plates once, or in Scar's case, twice more. They ate in silence, at least until Shenzi looked up at Scar, tilting her head as she did. "Um… Black Lion?" she asked. Something had clearly been weighing on her mind.

Scar blinked, looking up at her. "Yes?" he asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"How are you?" she asked, sending him one of the sweetest, most innocent smiles Scar had ever seen.

He paused, glancing away for a moment in an attempt not to let Shenzi's infectious nature overwhelm him. "I'm fine," he mumbled after a second of deliberation.

Janja's ear flicked as he continued to eat. He decided against interrupting. If Shenzi wanted to talk to Scar, he would let her. It was why he invited the black-maned lion to dinner with them… so Shenzi wouldn't feel as if he was excluding the collared servant. He had a feeling that Shenzi would've insisted he invite Scar to dinner anyways.

"That's good!" the female hyena beamed. Scar huffed and rolled his eyes, looking back down at his food as he ate. But Shenzi, who couldn't take a hint, wasn't done yet.

"Do you… do you have a mommy?" she asked, still smiling sweetly. "I have a mommy… I think everyone has a mommy. What's yours like?"

"… Excellent. Why?" Scar deadpanned as he looked over at her, dullness filling his voice. This wasn't a subject he was particularly fond of.

"Oh… because, well… I don't see your mommy anywhere… and I just wanted to know!" she replied, nodding her head rapidly, as if that in itself explained the randomness of her question. Scar's eyes narrowed, partly in confusion as he tried to follow her logic.

Janja, on the other paw, couldn't help the snicker that escaped his lips. "Yes, Scar… where's your mommy?" he smirked, glancing up from his plate.

"Nowhere of your concern, sir…" Scar replied, his voice sipping into a very light growl. Though, he had a feeling the red-eyed hyena knew exactly where his beloved mother was.

"You… you don't know? That's alright!" Shenzi exclaimed, immediately seeking to comfort the black-maned lion. "You know, I don't know where my mommy is either… so it's okay to not know!"

"I know where my mother is…" Scar grumbled, his expression souring.

"You… you do?" Shenzi asked, suddenly looking a little confused. "Uh… then where is she?"

"Probably still married to a wife-beater," Scar replied, his growl getting a little lower than it had been before as he clenched his claws tightly against his paw pads.

Janja's smirk fell when he realized where the conversation was going. But, before he could say anything to derail Scar's train of thought, Shenzi spoke up. "A wife-beater? What's that?" the female hyena asked, still just as curious as she had been before, not sensing the tension in the air.

"It's when a male beats his wife, and no matter how much damage he does, his wife will still stay with him… because she's an idiot and still believes there's a little spark of love in there somewhere," he growled, his frown deepening even more. "And because… she loves her children…"

"That… that sounds pretty bad…" Shenzi cringed. "Does… does the male hurt his wife?"

"Of course… that's the 'beater' part of wife-beater," Scar snarled, glaring at her. "Of course he hurts her… he hits her and claws her-"

"C-claws?!" Shenzi interrupted, her ears flattening against the back of her head as her eyes widened in fear.

"Scar…" Janja warned, but his warning went unfounded as Scar continued his tirade.

"Yes, Shenzi, my father uses his claws to hurt my mother," Scar growled as if he hadn't heard Janja issue a warning. The lion's expression had darkened from a simple frown, to one of pure rage, his teeth bared as he growled at Shenzi. "Claws to make her bleed and whine and cry out in pain-"

"Scar!" Janja repeated, much louder than before.

"Stop!" Shenzi wailed, jamming her paws over her ears and closing her eyes, shaking her head violently as she did. She didn't wanna hear it! She didn't wanna be reminded of Mean Lion? Why was Black Lion suddenly acting and sounding like Mean Lion?!

The moment Shenzi blocked her ears, and as Scar meant to continue in what he felt was righteous anger from her pressing a sensitive issue, a little beep issued from his collar. He paused, his heart immediately dropping, just before the first shock rushed through him.

Janja glared at Scar as the electricity coursed through his body, causing him to fall out of his chair, and hit the ground from the spasm it caused. "I warned you," the red-eyed hyena grumbled as he turned to comfort Shenzi. "Are you okay?"

"Did… did he stop?!" the female hyena whined, her paws still firmly jammed over her ears as she stayed still, shaking from fear.

"Yes, he's stopped," Janja nodded, gently placing a paw on her shoulder. He moved it in small circles, giving her a gentle massage in an attempt to calm her down.

"R-really?" she asked, opening one of her eyes a peep, and looking over at where Scar had sat. She couldn't see him, as he was still on the floor, groaning and trying to recover from the shock. "Uh…" she trailed off, looking back at Janja, before taking her paws off her ears slowly. She glanced over at Janja before leaning over and grabbing him in a desperate hug.

Janja let out a relieved sigh as she wrapped her arms around him. Deciding to push his luck a bit, he hugged her tight and pulled her off her chair, setting her on his lap so he could bring her closer against his chest.

Shenzi, still feeling somewhat distraught, didn't care one bit as she hugged the red-eyed hyena back, burying her face into the taller hyena's chest. Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Scar managed to pull himself back up onto his seat. He let out a low groan, his paws grasping at the table as he fought to keep his balance on the chair. He always hated that Janja had made the collar around his neck stronger.

Janja's eyes flicked over to glare at Scar. Though, perhaps it wasn't all for the worst. After all, Shenzi was in his arms and on his lap, right where he wanted her to be. So he said nothing, and settled for glaring at Scar and hugging the smaller hyena.

Shenzi continued to give him that desperate hug with her head pressed against his chest, not wanting to turn around and look at Scar. The black-maned lion said nothing, only turning back to his food, and continuing to eat.

Letting out a soft sigh, Janja finally pulled away from the female. "Come on, we should finish eating before our food gets too cold," he said.

"Is Black Lion going to be mean?" she whispered, looking up at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"No… he's done being mean," Janja reassured her, sending a quick glare at the lion.

"Really?" she asked, carefully sending a glance towards Scar. The black-maned lion let out a grunt before nodding his head reluctantly. He didn't once look up from his plate, though he could feel Janja's burning gaze boring a hole through his skull.

"See? He's going to be nice now," Janja gave Shenzi a small smile. "Go ahead and finish dinner."

"Okay…" Shenzi nodded carefully. She hesitated, but eventually untangled her arms from the red-eyed hyena's frame, before getting off of him. She once again sat down at her own chair, sending Scar another frightened glance, before grabbing her fork and beginning to eat again.

Janja nodded, mostly to himself, as he finished his meal. Scar had almost ruined the night for them… the next time he and Shenzi did this, they were definitely leaving Scar out. Shenzi seemed to calm down pretty quickly once everything went quiet again, causing Janja to let out a sigh of satisfaction. Crisis averted.

Or so he thought. Once Shenzi had just about finished eating, she looked up at Scar again, curiosity replacing fear. She either ignored or didn't notice the agitated look that had shown up on Scar's muzzle. "Uh… Black Lion?" Shenzi asked, suddenly speaking up.

Scar raised an eyebrow before slowly looking up at her. He definitely looked a little more cautious than he had been a moment before. "What?" he asked, no malice in his voice this time.

"Well, uh… where did you… get that mark?" the curious hyena asked, tilting her head to the side. _Oh no,_ Janja muttered internally as he once again opened his mouth to prevent the conversation from proceeding, but Scar beat him to the punch.

"Your boyfriend gave it to me," he grunted, staring at her with an almost dead look in his eyes.

"My… uh… my boyfriend?" Shenzi asked, cocking her head, and looking more than a little confused.

"I mean Janja… he's the one who gave me this scar," the black-maned lion huffed.

"Though it was your own fault," Janja growled, cutting in before Shenzi could say anything else. Though he was a little more than disappointed that Shenzi didn't remember that they were dating…

"Yes, I suppose it was my fault," Scar snorted, before rolling his eyes.

"Why was it his fault, Nice Hyena?" Shenzi asked, looking over at Janja with wide eyes.

"He attacked me," the red-eyed hyena explained. "Of course I defended myself, and luckily I had my trusty rapier sitting nearby…"

"Oh. So… he was being a mean lion then too," Shenzi said, blinking a few times.

"Oh yes," Janja snickered, remembering back to the first week he had Scar's contract. It had been thirteen years since then, but he could still remember Scar's rebellious nature. "He was vicious in our younger days together… but after I slashed his eye like that, I found a way to put a stop to his behavior."

"What was it?" Shenzi asked, cocking her head again. Scar let out a loud huff, one of his paws shooting up to rub at his neck, underneath the collar that sat there.

"I made an upgrade to his collar… a heartbeat monitor," Janja explained. "That way I wouldn't have to constantly have my thumb on the button"

"A… a heartbeat monitor?" she asked, flicking one of her ears. "What does that do?"

"When he gets too agitated, excited, or even if too much adrenaline is pumping through his system, the collar activates on its own and delivers a rather nasty shock," Janja explained.

"Is… is that what happened when he was being… mean a moment ago?" the female hyena asked softly.

"That's exactly what happened," Scar grunted, beating Janja to the punch.

"It's been quite a while since you've gotten worked up like that, though," Janja smirked slightly. "I was starting to wonder if the collar wasn't working anymore."

"Well I guess it still fucking works," Scar snorted, rolling his eyes again.

"Indeed it does," Janja chuckled, before turning to Shenzi "Now then," he said, rubbing his paws together as he saw that she had finished eating. "I have a few ideas on how we can spend our afternoon together, Shenzi dear."

"How?" Shenzi asked, turning to smile at him. That excited gleam lit back up in her eyes at the thought of doing something with Janja.

"I had Scar bring up a few blueprints from the catacombs," Janja explained. "I figured we could work on what he brought up."

"Building something? With you? That sounds like lots of fun!" she exclaimed, beaming at him once again. "I love building stuff with you!"

"And I like building stuff with you too, Shenzi," the red-eyed hyena chuckled, basking in her excitement. He loved her warm glow so much. "I have the plans and quite a bit of building material in my workshop," he said, before standing up. "Scar, take care of the dishes and leftovers when you're finished eating."

"Of course, sir," the black-maned lion grunted as Shenzi stood up, letting out a happy giggle.

"Come, Shenzi dear," Janja grinned, extending a paw. She grabbed it enthusiastically, and he led her towards his workshop, where they would burn the hours building something.

"What are we building?" Shenzi asked as she let him drag her along to his workshop.

"No clue," Janja chuckled. "But that's half the fun!"

XXX

The drive back to Nick's apartment was thankfully silent. Wolfard was driving with Julia sitting next to him up front. Wolfgang was in the back, his arms crossed, and his expression serious. Julia licked her lips slowly as she resisted the urge to glance at the white wolf. The tension in the car was palpable.

Wolfard's paws gripped the steering wheel hard, it was all he could do to keep them from shaking. _He's still incredibly dangerous,_ the timber wolf muttered to himself as he did his best to focus on the road and nothing else. Even with the remote in his pocket, it didn't feel like he was the one in control. After all, he hadn't been the one to save Snow… Wolfgang had merely decided not to kill her.

"Why didn't Nick and Judy come to pick me up?" Wolfgang asked after several minutes of silence. He had been so caught up in the moment at the hospital, he didn't even notice his cousin was the one picking him up and not his contractor.

"They're gone," Gray replied, not glancing back at the white wolf through the rear-view mirror. "They went to solve a case in Pawaii, I mean."

"Ah…" Wolfgang muttered. "So they sent you to babysit me?"

"Call it what you will, no one trusts you to be left on your own… and I think your actions at the hospital proved that," Gray grumbled, slowing the car down for a stoplight.

"I didn't kill her," Wolfgang rolled his eyes.

"You almost did… and that's the point," Gray growled.

The white wolf let out a sigh, there was no use pushing the issue. He supposed saving one soul didn't save his. Putting one paw against his temple, he began rubbing as the headache began forming once again. The pounding had disappeared when he first got out of the hospital bed, but now it was coming back… and quickly increasing in strength. "Did they solve the missing weapons case?" he asked a moment later.

"The what?" Wolfard asked, stepping on the gas once the light turned green.

"Nick and Judy… did they solve the previous case they were working on?" Wolfgang repeated.

"You were only out for a day," Wolfard shook his head. "So, no… they didn't solve that case. Bogo assigned someone else to it and sent Nick and Judy to Pawaii immediately."

"The case must've been important, then," Wolfgang muttered as Wolfard pulling into Nick's apartment's parking lot. The three mammals hopped out of the car, before heading towards the building.

"I don't know much about it… but I think it was a serial killer case," Wolfard shrugged as they made their way into the building heading straight towards the elevator. "So yes, very important."

Wolfgang snorted as Wolfard hit the button for Nick's floor. Of course the case was important… but it didn't look like the white wolf would be able to get any more details from his cousin. "Does Bogo still want my help on the missing weapons case?" he asked as the elevator began to rise.

"Why would Bogo want your help with a case?" Wolfard muttered, crossing his arms.

"A deal we made," Wolfgang explained, a smirk playing on his lips as he sensed jealousy. "I help him with the case, he gives me my mansion back. Nick's apartment is a little cramped, in case you haven't noticed."

"Well, I'm afraid I'm not privy to information about the 'missing weapons case,' as you call it. I don't even know which officers have been assigned to it," the gray wolf shrugged. "So no, I have no idea if he still wants your help."

"Considering they are _my_ weapons and warehouses… I assume he does," Wolfgang said as the elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened. The three mammals exited the elevator and headed towards Nick's apartment, which was only a few doors away.

"I think Judy kept the file that Bogo gave you… uh, I think she put it on her dresser," Julia spoke up.

"I'll be sure to take a look at it, then… the sooner the better," Wolfgang grunted as he put his paw against his head again, it had started throbbing once again. "But first, Advil," he groaned as Wolfard unlocked the door and headed inside.

Wolfgang stumbled into the room, and saw that the couch had been folded out into a bed. _Perfect,_ he sighed to himself as he padded towards the makeshift bed, only to pause in his step. His ear flicked as he scented the room, noticing a scent that didn't belong.

"Are you okay?" Julia asked, cocking her head. He had stopped in the middle of the room, his nostrils flaring.

"I'm fine… I just need Advil," Wolfgang grumbled, before heading towards the foldout once again. He collapsed onto the bed with a soft groan.

Julia raised an eyebrow, but went to fetch the painkillers Wolfgang desired, as well as a glass of water. Wolfard disappeared into Nick's room, only to come back a moment later with a confused look on his face. "Uh… where's Shenzi?" he asked, glancing at Julia.

"What do you mean?" Julia asked, filling a glass with water.

"I can't find your sister," Wolfard explained, glancing around the room as if Shenzi was hiding from them.

"You can't… find her?" Julia asked, setting the glass down. "What do you mean you can't find her?!"

"I mean that she's not in the living room, or in the bathroom, or in Nick's room… unless there's some hidden room in this tiny apartment, she's gone!" Wolfard growled, clearly doing his best not to panic. Something that Julia wasn't doing a very good job of.

"No! Of course there's not a hidden room!" Julia all but screeched, forcing Wolfgang to cover his ears and groan again. "I told her not to leave the apartment, she should still be here!"

"Calm down Julia, I'm sure she didn't just wander off…" Wolfard tried to comfort the distraught hyena.

"Then she must've been taken! She wouldn't just go outside for no reason… someone must've come and taken her!" Julia shouted. The idea that she had just been reunited with her sister, only for her to be ripped away once again was clearly too much for the golden-eyed hyena to take.

"No! Uh… I'm sure Shenzi is fine," Wolfard floundered, failing to comfort Julia. "The door was still locked when we came in! Someone must've had a key…"

Julia let out another wail, causing Wolfgang's headache to worsen. So he silenced her with a loud snarl. "Shut up both of you!" he growled. "Shenzi is fine. Use your nose, cousin, what do you smell?"

"Uh…" Wolfard trailed off, before doing what his cousin asked. Tilting his snout towards the ceiling, he sucked in a deep breath of air through his nose. "I smell Nick and Judy quite well, despite how much time has passed since they've left… and I smell Shenzi."

If Wolfgang noticed the red tinge rising onto Wolfard's face, he didn't comment on it. Shenzi's scent was once again saturated with lust, making it very easy to pick out and distinguish from Julia's. "And?" Wolfgang asked, clearly expecting another answer.

"Um… a male… a male hyena, I think," Wolfard furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to pick out the different scents in the room.

"Exactly," Wolfgang nodded. "A male hyena that happens to be Janja."

"Janja was here?" Julia asked, her sniffling stopping nearly immediately. She scented the air, but couldn't quite pick out the scent of the red-eyed hyena. "Well… that's a relief…"

"Who's Janja?" Wolfard asked, cocking his head.

"Janja is Shenzi's boyfriend," Julia sighed, wiping a tear from her eye. "He probably stopped by and took her out on a date…"

"I should also mention that Janja left a note," Wolfgang smirked as he held up a small slip of paper. "I accidentally sat down on it."

"So… so you let me panic, knowing that she was fine?!" Julia huffed, crossing her arms.

"Pretty much," Wolfgang shrugged, a small smirk still playing on his muzzle.

"Oh, you're so rude," Julia pouted, turning around so that her back was to the white wolf. "You can come and get your own damn Advil."

"Julia…" Wolfgang groaned as he tried to sit up.

"Nope! That's what you get for making me worry!" Julia huffed again.

Wolfard glanced between the two, noticing the grins on both of their muzzles. _Playful banter? What the hell…_ he muttered internally. To his knowledge, his cousin had never been playful. Whether it was something he had developed thanks to the collar, or a side the white wolf only showed to Julia, he wasn't sure. But he slowly backed out of the room, heading towards Nick's room. "I'll just go get that file for you…" he mumbled.

Wolfgang ignored his cousin and slowly sat up, one paw clutching the side of his head. The headache was killing him, and he needed the painkillers. He managed to struggle to his feet, before taking a few steps towards Julia. She was still holding the glass and painkillers, though her back was turned to him.

He made it to the counter and grabbed a hold of it with a shaky paw. It was all he could do to help keep himself standing. "Can I have the Advil now?" he asked, smirk still playing on his lips.

"Nope," Julia shook her head, not turning around.

"Come on…" Wolfgang said, his playful tone faltering as his headache throbbed even harder.

"Say you're sorry," Julia smirked, crossing her arms again, though she was careful not to spill any of the water from the cup she was carrying.

"What?" he asked, cocking his head.

"Say you're sorry," she repeated, finally turning around. There was a frown on her face, but it was clearly forced.

"What for?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"For making me worry about my sister! My little heart couldn't take losing her again, and in that moment, I thought I actually had!" she exclaimed.

"Oh… fine… I'm sorry for making you worry. Can I have the painkillers now?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"There, now was that so hard?" she asked, smirk once again rising on her face as she set the glass full of water and three red pills onto the counter.

"Excruciatingly so," he returned the grin as he swiped the pills off the table before she could take them back. He popped the pills into his mouth, and downed the glass of water, swallowing the pills.

"Here's the file," Wolfard said as he popped back into the living room. He spotted the two at the counter, but decided to set the manila folder onto the foldout. "I'm going to take a nap."

"I think I could use a nap too," Julia agreed, glancing at Wolfard out of the corner of her eye. She watched him swiftly retreat into Nick's room, before shutting the door. A loud click signaled the door being locked.

"You go ahead… I have a case to work on," Wolfgang chuckled as he turned around and made his way back towards the bed, stumbling slightly as he did.

"Oh no you don't," Julia shook her head as she easily outpaced him, and beat him to the foldout. "You need your rest even more than me or Gray."

"Julia…" the white wolf grumbled. "The sooner I get this done, the sooner I get my mansion back."

"Well, your mansion can wait until later," the hyena said, snatching the folder off the bed before Wolfgang could grab it. She stored it onto the side table on her side of the foldout, before giving the white wolf a wide smirk. "After a nap with me."

"There's no changing your mind, is there?" Wolfgang grunted as he lied down on his side of the bed. Without Shenzi there, there was plenty of room for the two larger mammals. But that didn't stop Julia from immediately pressing herself against him, as if her sister was taking up a third of the foldout.

"Nope," Julia grinned, getting comfortable next to her favorite white wolf. "You'll be able to think better once you're rested, right?"

"Right…" he sighed. It wasn't like he had the strength to resist her at the moment. Walking around with the headache took more out of him than he'd want to admit. Julia only kept grinning as she waited for his eyes to close. She made sure to wrap her arms around him as she too fell asleep. She figured if she had a tight hold of him, he couldn't wait for her to fall asleep, then slip free. She wanted to make sure he got a good nap… after all, she was right. He needed it.

XXX

The hours had passed quickly, and the two hyenas had yet to finish whatever it was they were attempting to build. There were lots of parts and pieces that needed to be constructed from scratch. It would likely take several days to do, and even though they had completed a good chunk of the work, neither of them could tell what they were building.

So they had decided to take a break. Janja sat on his couch with Shenzi's head resting on his lap. Scar stood behind the couch dutifully, with his arms crossed as he stared at the two hyenas. The black-maned had remained nearby all night, just in case the red-eyed hyena needed something from him.

"Nice Hyena?" Shenzi asked, a happy, relaxed smile on her face as she looked up at Janja.

"Yes?" Janja smiled, looking down at her. He could feel Scar's burning gaze on the back of his head, but he chose to ignore it.

"What time is it?" she asked, letting out a little giggle as she grinned back up at him. She liked his smile so much…

"It's just passed seven, my dear," he replied a moment later, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"When do I have to go back to Nice Fox's place?" she asked, flicking her ears.

"Whenever you want to go back, I'll take you back," Janja replied, still giving her that soft smile. "But if you want, you can spend the night here with me."

"Oh… well… yeah, I was going to ask that next," she replied, beaming up at him.

"You want to spend the night here with me?" he asked.

"Well… yeah!" she responded, nodding her head. "You know, cause… I liked building stuff with you… and I got more questions!"

"Oh? What sort of questions?" he asked, cocking his head.

"Um… well… questions for later," she replied, giving a sweet, innocent look. Though she couldn't help but glance at Scar for less than a second.

Janja's smirk widened as he saw her eyes flick over to Scar, understanding what she meant by 'later.' "Oh," he grinned. They were questions for when they were alone. "In that case… Scar, don't you have something better to do?" the red-eyed hyena asked, turning to glare at the black-maned lion.

"I figured staying here and waiting for an order of yours would be the best way to spend my time…" Scar sighed.

"Well, I have only one more order for you. Scram," Janja said, waving the lion away. "You're on your own for the rest of the night. Don't bother me. Call your family, if you want."

"If you say so, sir," he replied, the end of his muzzle twitching into a little smirk. "You two enjoy your night… don't forget protection, though."

"Don't lecture me, Scar," Janja's ear flicked as Shenzi shot him a confused look.

"Whatever you say, sir… goodnight," the black-maned lion smirked, turning on his heel, and padding out of the room, leaving Janja and Shenzi alone.

Shenzi waited a few minutes until she was sure Scar was out of earshot. "Um… so… Janja…" she started, now that she was sure Black Lion was gone. "Uh… I looked up that… that thing you told me to…"

Janja blinked a few times before a grin split his muzzle. "Oh?" he asked. "What did you think?"

"Well… I was looking at the videos… the first ones that came up… and… I felt like… a heat… down there," she said, pointing down between her legs.

"Ah, that would be arousal, my dear," he explained. "It means you were enjoying what you were watching."

"Yeah… that's what I thought too," she nodded. "An… then it turned into like… and itch, and my paws… had to go down there too!"

 _Ooh, she's very open,_ he grinned internally. It was just more fun for him, then. "Did you start rubbing yourself?" he asked, now curious as to how much she would tell him.

"Well… I rubbed my… where my hole is, yeah," she replied, nodding again. She wasn't sure what else to call it. "And… uh… it felt really good!"

"Well it's supposed to feel really good," he nodded, grin widening slightly.

"It did," she beamed up at him. "But… on the video, it didn't show a hyena by herself… it showed a female… and a… a male hyena."

"Yes, of course," Janja nodded, wondering where she was going with this. "That's how it's supposed to be."

"Is it really?" she asked, tilting her head. "'Cause… that was one of my questions. Does it have to be that way?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, cocking his head. "Well… hold on, with all the porn on the internet, there's no telling what you saw. Describe the video you watched."

"Well… there was a male hyena… and a female hyena that looked a lot like my mommy…" she started, trying to recount what she had seen.

"Your mother?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah," she nodded, flicking her ears. "I don't know why… but she really looked like mommy…"

"Huh… maybe your mother used to do stuff like that," the red-eyed hyena shrugged. "Keep going… what were they doing?"

"Well… you know, the hole? Down there?" Shenzi asked, pointing back down between her legs. "And… you know that… stick… that males have? Well… he was…" she paused for a moment, looking a little worried. "He was pushing it into the hole…"

"Ah, yeah, that's how it's done," Janja nodded, realizing what she was talking about.

"Is that really how it's done?" Shenzi asked, looking more than a little scared. "R-really?"

"Yes," he nodded once again. "That's how it's always been done."

"But… doesn't that hurt? Like… a lot?" she asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Uh, no," he shook his head. "It's supposed to feel good. Remember how you were rubbing yourself while watching that video? That's what it's supposed to feel like… only better."

"Really?" she blinked. "But… that's what Mean Lion did, and it… well, it really hurt…"

"Oh, well…" Janja trailed off, remembering what he had read about Shenzi's previous contractor. "He was a lion, and I'm a hyena."

"Is there a difference?" she asked, tilting her head again. "It's still the same… isn't it?"

"No, it's completely different," he shook his head once again. "Remember back to the video you watched… did it look like the male in the video was hurting the hyena that looked like your mother?'

"Well… uh… no," she mumbled, flicking her ears. It had actually looked like her mommy was really enjoying herself…

"Exactly," he nodded. "Trust me, Shenzi dear."

"So it won't hurt, right?" she asked softly. "I mean… it felt good with my paw… but my paw is soft…"

"Well my dick is certainly not soft," Janja couldn't help but snicker. "But no, it'll feel good. I promise."

"C-can we try it, then?" she asked without a pause.

He blinked a few times, but eventually let out a chuckle. "Of course," he nodded.

"Yeah! I mean…" she trailed off, "If you say it feels good, well… I believe you."

"Trying to dampen your excitement, are we?" he smirked. "Well, if you want to do it… then let's go up to my room."

"Yeah… yeah! Let's do that!" she grinned, rolling off of him, and jumping to her feet. He let out another chuckle and took her paw, leading her away from the living room and towards the entryway. He padded up a staircase that sat in the entryway, before walking into the first room on the right of the upstairs hallway.

He shut the door behind them once she had made it inside. He had led her into a nice room, though it did look a little small compared to the overall size of the house. The bed definitely looked big enough for two, though it took up the majority of the space in the room.

"Wow…" Shenzi mumbled, glancing around as she padded deeper into the room. Though the room was small, it felt particularly cozy. A perfect place for two mammals to retreat to when they wanted to be alone. And the bed looked pretty comfortable too… with soft blankets and puffed up pillows.

"Nice, isn't it?" Janja asked as he followed her further into the room, enjoying her curious, wide eyes as she enthusiastically took in the new environment.

"It… it looks comfortable, Nice Hyena!" she nodded happily, glancing back at him with a wide grin. "The bed looks comfy!"

"Very comfy," he nodded, smiling back at her. He wasn't going to push her into this. He would let her do this at her own pace.

She paused, taking a moment to lick her lips. Glancing back at Janja, she finally decided to plop down on the bed. She jumped up onto the soft mattress and immediately sank into the soft, cushy blanket. With a loud giggled, she laid down, sinking even further into the bed.

He couldn't help but chuckle as he watched her seemingly melt into the soft bed. "Comfortable?" he smirked, laying down next to her, sinking in as well.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed. "This bed is just as comfy as it looks! You have a really comfy bed!"

"Thank you," he chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her. Pulling her close against his chest, just like he had done during dinner, he let out a sigh as he relaxed on the bed.

"You know, Nice Hyena… you've got a lot of cool stuff," she turned around in his paws, so she could hug him back. "I've never gotten to use so much stuff! And it's all so nice too!"

"Well, I try," he chuckled, not sure what else to say. "You can use any of it any time you want, you know."

"I know," she nodded, still giving him that wide, innocent smile. "It's why you're such a Nice Hyena! And… and it's why I trust you so much…"

Trust… now there was a word he was happy to hear from her. He had worked so hard these past few days to get her to trust him, to open up to him, and it looked like it was all paying off. A huge smile spread across his face once again and he hugged her a little bit tighter, before pressing a quick kiss against her lips. "Thank you, Shenzi… I'm very glad you trust me," he whispered softly into her ear.

"Y-yeah! How couldn't I trust such a Nice Hyena?" she asked, that happy smile still on her face. "J-J… Jan… ja…"

His heart skipped a beat when he heard his name. He remembered the other day when she had told him that she didn't like using real names. _And yet she insisted on calling her friend Banzai by his real name,_ he chuckled to himself. _And now I've earned that honor as well._ "Yes… my name," he nodded, his grin somehow widening even farther. "Janja…"

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, letting out another excited giggle. "J-Jan-ja! I said it! I can say it!" He gave her another wide smile as his hold on her tightened a bit. She returned the embrace with equal strength, still ecstatic that she was able to say another mammal's name without fear of consequences. "Jan-ja? So… do you wanna… do you wanna do that thing?"

"Sex?" he asked, cocking his head. In all this excitement, he had completely forgotten the reason that he had led her up here.

"Y-yeah! That thing I saw on the video," she nodded happily.

"I would love to," he nodded.

"Okay! So… what's first?" she asked, returning his wide grin. "What do we have to do first?"

"Stripping… we need to take off our clothes," he replied immediately.

"Our clothes? Uh… okay…" she said slowly, licking her lips nervously once again. She paused for a moment, before her paws reached up to tug at her shirt.

"Is something wrong?" he asked as he decided to start with his pants, pulling them free quickly.

"Um… nothing," she muttered, slowly pulling her shirt off. When she finally had it off, she let out a little, nervous gulp, before tossing the shirt aside. And it was easy to see why she had was nervous…

Hyenas had rather short fur, and that fact made it easy to see the hundreds of white, crisscrossing lines all over Shenzi's skin. From the other side of the room, Janja never would've noticed, but now that he was right next to her, he could see the scars running all over her chest, running underneath the bra she was wearing, down her abdomen, and disappearing underneath her skirt. The only places the scars didn't travel were up her neck, across her arms, or down her legs, where they would've been visible in plain view.

Shenzi stared at him with a scared look in her eyes as she watched him follow the patterns across her chest. She followed his gaze as it dipped towards her skirt, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at them. "Banzai said they were good decorations!" she blurted out, nervousness overcoming her.

"Decorations?" he asked, his eyes flicking back up to hers. "I wouldn't call them decorations. Maybe… testaments. Yeah… testaments to how tough you are."

"T-tough?" she asked, flicking her ears in confusion.

"Yes… tough," he nodded, remembering back to the file he had read on her. _That lion was a real bastard… he's lucky he's already dead,_ Janja growled internally. "After all, you lasted ten years with an abusive contractor… no one else could've done what you did."

"Um… well… you really think so?" Shenzi asked, her eyes widening slightly. "I mean… I didn't really do a whole awful lot… I just kept screaming as he scratched me. And now… I got all these stupid white marks beneath my fur… they used to bleed, you know…"

"Of course I think so," Janja nodded. "It doesn't matter how much you screamed, it doesn't matter how much you bled… all that matters is that you survived, and that you're safe now."

"I… I guess I did survive…" she replied softly. "Then… then you don't think the white marks are ugly?"

"Of course not!" he exclaimed, shaking his head. "Why would I ever think that?" he asked, before carefully reaching out, and touching one of the longer marks on her chest. His touch was so gentle, she could barely feel it as he traced the scar down her chest and across her flat stomach.

"Well… Mean Lion said I looked awfully ugly with them…" Shenzi muttered, watching the paw touching her abdomen. "Banzai was the only one to say they were pretty…"

"They are pretty," Janja affirmed with a small smile.

"Oh… thanks," she said after a moment of thought, smiling sweetly at him. "I was kinda… kinda worried. No one else seems to have scars…"

He licked his lips slowly as he sat up. "You shouldn't be worried," he chuckled softly, before tugging off his shirt. "You're not the only one with scars…"

"Well… Black Lion has a little scar, but it just makes him look cool…" she replied, cocking her head at him.

"Yes, well, I have scars too," he said, tossing his shirt aside, revealing his torso.

"Where?" Shenzi asked, tilting her head again with confusion. She didn't see anything wrong with him at all! Janja was perfect… flawless, almost. For being a hyena, he was ridiculously well-sculpted. Years of fencing and training had resulted in a muscled physique, a finely-tune fighting machine.

"It's here… on my back," he all but whispered, turning around. Shenzi's eyes widened as she spotted two small, hairless patches of skin on his back, about half a foot down from his shoulder blades, and with the two marks straddling his spin. The skin had turned black, as if it was a burn.

"Oh…" she mumbled, blinking tears from her eyes as she imagined how much it had hurt. And the patches weren't small. They were circular and seemed to be about three inches in diameter. "That's… that must've hurt! Where'd your fur go?"

He turned back around to give her another soft smile, hoping to keep her from panicking. "They're electric burns," he explained. "From a cattle prod."

"A… a cattle prod?" she asked, flicking her ears. "But… but who would do that to you?! You're a strong hyena! And… and a nice hyena!"

"It happened when I was a kid," he explained, still smiling. "By who, it doesn't matter… they're long gone."

"Well… it still looked like it hurt," she whimpered. "It doesn't hurt now, does it?"

"No, not really," he shook his head. "Nothing really hurts anymore."

"Wow…" she muttered, reaching out a paw and wrapping it around his back. She quickly found the burns on his back, and couldn't help herself from poking the burnt area. "You're a really strong hyena… a really, really strong hyena…"

"Our scars don't define us, my dear… they show that we survived. And that's all that matters," he smiled softly, before leaning over and removing her bra, revealing more scars.

"I… I like that," she smiled as she removed her bra. And for the first time that she had ever had that last protection removed from her chest, she felt… safe. He gave her a soft smile as he gently groped one of the fleshy globes, squeezing it in his paw.

"That's good," he said, his voice dropping in pitch to sound sultry. "Are you ready?"

"I'm very ready," Shenzi replied, grinning happily back at him. She tried to puff out her chest, arching her back off the bed as she did. Her bust wasn't particularly big at all, but she still figured Janja wanted to touch and enjoy them.

And he certainly was enjoying them. While her breasts weren't anywhere near as large as her sister's, Janja still enjoyed the feel of them beneath his paws. "Good, good… let me just take my boxers off," he grinned, letting go of her breasts so he could slip his undergarments off, before putting his paws back where they had been before.

Shenzi grinned as she glanced between his legs, licking her lips a little nervously as she saw his shaft. Even there, Janja seemed more than perfect… she wasn't sure how big hyenas normally were… but he looked exceptionally well endowed, unlike her…

He snickered as he saw her eyes widen a bit. "Don't fret, my dear… it'll feel good, I promise," he said softly, before his paws trailed from her breasts down to the hem of her skirt.

"I trust you," she nodded as Janja gently removed her skirt and panties. "It's bigger than Mean Lion's was… you'll be better than him in every way!"

He chuckled at her exclamation. "Bigger, really?" he smirked as he tossed the last barrier between them aside. One of his paws gently ghosted over her lower lips.

"Yeah, really!" she replied, nodding her head quickly, before she let out a little moan from the touch of his paw. It felt just like it had when she had done it… but better.

"Then you definitely will enjoy it more," he grinned as he pressed his paw a little harder against her core. He wanted to make sure she was nice and wet, so she was actually ready for him. He didn't want this to hurt her in even the slightest.

Shenzi let out another moan, her happy smile getting a little wider. Now she felt excited… she wanted to enjoy this… she wanted to enjoy this with Janja. She let out a surprised gasp when she felt him insert a finger into her center.

"Have you tried pushing a finger inside of you?" he asked, wiggling his finger around teasingly. He could feel her wetness, she was just about ready. He just wanted to tease her a bit more.

"N-no…" she gasped, writing around a little bit as she let out another, even louder moan. "I-I… I didn't…"

He chuckled at the pleasured expression plastered across her face. _We haven't even started yet,_ he smirked to himself. "Well, it feels pretty good, eh?" he asked, pumping the finger in and out of her for a few seconds, before removing it completely. _She's ready,_ he grinned, drawing his tongue across his drenched finger, tasting her on the digit.

"Yeah… yea, that felt good!" she nodded, giggling as she felt him remove his paw. She looked back at him expectantly, waiting for him to do more.

Seeing excitement and expectation shining in her eyes, he crawled over top of her and lined up at her entrance. "Then this'll feel even better," he smirked, before slowly inserting his length into her.

Instantly, a loud groan tore from her throat. She gasped, her eyes widening as she felt his massive shaft push into her. He was, in fact, bigger than Mean Lion had been. On top of that, the lack of barbs, and the smooth, gentle entrance… plus the foreplay… she'd never felt better!

Hearing another moan of pleasure escape her muzzle, he began thrusting in and out of her, his hips slapping gently against hers as his paws went to play with her breasts again, hoping to do everything necessary to keep her feeling good. And she did feel good… she felt amazing. She had no idea this was what sex was supposed to have felt like. And now that she was having it… with Janja, her boyfriend! She loved it!

Her moans increased in volume, so Janja decided to pick up the pace a bit. He could feel her bucking her hips against his, desperate to take him deeper. He let out a groan, as he was feeling just as good as she was now that he was moving faster.

She continued to let out loud exclamations of her joy as his hips smacked against hers. It didn't even hurt! She had one of the happiest smiles on her face that Janja had ever seen as they both enjoyed every second of this. "F-faster!" she groaned out. She could feel something beginning to bubble up inside of her… she wanted more of it!

Janja grinned as he picked up his pace even more, now at the point where he was really railing her. He had bedded quite a few mammals in his life, but Shenzi was without a doubt the best. He leaned over and pressed his lips against hers.

She let out an absolute squeal of joy as she wrapped her arms around his head to keep his lips pressed against hers. She was so happy that she had found someone so thoroughly perfect like Janja… this was better than anything she had ever hoped for. Her grin stretched from ear to ear, excitingly taking the railing she was receiving.

Janja kept pumping into her for another few minutes until he began to feel his climax approaching. He tried to pull his head away from Shenzi, but found that he couldn't. So he pressed harder into the kiss as he did his best to hold back the floodgates, realizing for just a moment that neither of them had protection. _Damn you Scar,_ Janja grumbled as he realized it was the lion's fault for even making him think that in the throes of passion.

Shenzi, however, had no scruples in her mind as she eagerly took everything Janja was giving her. She was still grinning happily as she felt her climax approaching, and she was more than happy to welcome an explosion of pleasure!

He couldn't help but chuckle as he felt her wrap her legs around his waist. Her decision was clear… she didn't want him pulling out. So he pushed himself just a little bit harder as she finally let go of his head. He pulled away and let his tongue roll out of his mouth so he could pant in exertion, using what little time he had before his climax to show her what true pleasure felt like.

It was at that moment Shenzi felt a true high run through her. It was a real explosion, a rush that she had never felt before, an energetic high that crashed into her, and quickly overtook her. She screamed out in pure joy and ecstasy, feeling the happiest she had ever felt in her life.

He let out a loud groan the moment he felt her inner walls clench hard around his length, her juices spilling out over his shaft. She was tight before, but this was on a whole different level, causing him to hit his climax nearly immediately after hers. He slammed his manhood into her, as he couldn't pull out due to her legs around his waist, before filling her to the brim with his seed.

Shenzi collapsed onto the soft bed, panting and gasping from the ordeal. She was still grinning happily, even with her tongue hanging out, clearly having just been given the time of her life. Janja carefully collapsed on top of her, panting just as hard as she was. "Good?" he managed to get out between gasps of air.

"Y-yeah…" she nodded, being nearly unable to say much else. But she didn't have to. That pleasured expression plastered over her muzzle spoke volumes to how much she had truly enjoyed this experience.

XXX

 **Alright, that seems like a good place to leave it. Whew! That was the longest chapter I've ever written! For any story of mine. I know the last few chapters have been fairly short (especially when compared to this one), but hopefully the upcoming chapters will be longer… though I doubt as long as this one. The last chapter I had over 10k words, by the way, was chapter 14.**

 **Anyways, with that being said, I don't really want to stretch this author's note out. Uh… there's a lot here, and I know Nick and Judy don't feature too heavily, but hopefully you can see all the character development that has, or will, be taking place in the upcoming chapters. As well as how I'm definitely shifting my focus with Nick and Judy towards their relationship.**

 **It won't be solved in a single chapter… or two, or even three, but eventually the 'dynamic duo' will figure out whether they stay together, or they break apart. Stay tuned to find out!**


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